


Halo

by Noizchild



Series: Ghost Doll [4]
Category: Yami No Matsuei
Genre: Abuse, BDSM, Blood, Depression, F/F, F/M, Intimacy, Lemon, Love, Multi, Murder, Original Characters - Freeform, Rape, Violence, Yuri, angel - Freeform, demon, detoxicification, sleeping disorders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-26
Updated: 2011-07-07
Packaged: 2017-10-13 09:56:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 24,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/135984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noizchild/pseuds/Noizchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fourth one of my series, "Ghost Doll." Anna's past nightmares come back to haunt her out of the blue for a series of nights. Meanwhile, Tsuzuki begins to fall depressed as his past haunts him again. It seems that Tsuzuki's depression and Anna's nightmares seem linked together somehow. Meanwhile, Anna's friends are still looking for her. But, they are not the only ones. The man in Anna's nightmares and her uncles are after her for different reasons as well. Tsuzuki + OC. Yuri and het lemons with some grusome violence and dark stuff to behold.</p><p>I don't own YnM. That belongs to Yoko Matsushita.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Incubus Bait

**Author's Note:**

> Anna's nightmares begin again.

Halo

_Chapter One: Incubus Bait:_

_August 1st, 2004._

Anna couldn’t sleep that night. She laid awake in her guest bed in Clare’s beach house. The reliable tricks to help her sleep failed tonight as she stared at the ceiling. _Always looked the same—even after college_ , she thought. This was supposed to be a celebration before she, Becky, and Willow went to grad school, but yet parties weren’t Anna’s thing. She just wanted a quiet summer this year, but the former Photo Club saw to it otherwise. Anna didn’t bother to fight back; they don’t listen anyway. 

Anna looked out the window. The beach had a calm appearance tonight; it was probably cool. She thought about her forming idea as she watched the scenery. _Maybe_ , Anna thought. She sat up as if in a trance, climbed out of bed, and left the room. 

In a minute, the woman found herself outside on the beach. The trip seemed like a hazy blur to her mind. Anna looked around her. Though her actions were random, a sense of calm filled her. She shut her eyes and slowly took in the ocean night sounds. They felt like a massage to the ears that calmed her buzzing mind. She could feel her body rising with the waves before her. 

Suddenly, a small moan broke her nirvana. Anna opened her eyes and looked around. No one was in sight. She began to think that she was hearing things. The moan came again and Anna strained for a listen. 

_Who else is here?_ , she thought, _I thought this was a private beach._ Curious, she followed the sounds further down the beach. She came to a patch of grass and found two figures were huddled over on the sand. She narrowed her eyes for a better look. To her, it looked like a couple having sex on the beach. Anna thought about going back to her room to give them some privacy; however, something else caught her eye. 

The woman on the ground had wings on her back. To Anna’s surprise, she wasn’t dreaming. This woman had on a white halter dress and two big white wings. Anna couldn’t grasp what was unfolding before her. _An angel?_ , she thought. More followed with that revelation as Anna noticed that the angel was looking up in a teary fear. The man lied on top of her smirking as he lightly stroked his victim’s cheek in an ironic mocking way. 

“There, there,” he whispered, “It’ll all be over soon.” The angel whimpered at him. 

“You’re hurting me,” she whispered. 

“I know,” he hissed. The man bit into her wing and ripped it off. The angel cried in pain as the shirtless man licked his lips. Her agony turned him on. 

“Yes, that’s it!” he moaned out, “Scream for me!” The man ate up her other wing before he next moved to her chest and bit down. The angel cried out in pain; this time, her voice was breathless. The violent nature of the rape and feast escalated faster and longer. He found it so easy to kill his prey. His teeth found her throat and ripped it out with such force. He licked up her cherry wine blood from his face. The angel lied there like a broken doll, naked and covered in blood. 

Anna started backing away with a pale face and wide eyes. Instinct screamed at her to phone the police, but her body wouldn’t budge fast enough. Pretty soon, the man looked up and saw her. 

_> Oh shit!_, she thought as she froze up with big eyes, _He saw me!_ The man suddenly disappeared and reappeared right in front of her fully clothed in black. Anna slowly looked up trembling as she swallowed. The man looked about thirty with his skin whiter than snow. He had a strange and dark elegance to him. Too bad Anna couldn’t see that due to his “meal” earlier. The man smirked at her as he gently took her by her left wrist. Anna tried to back away from him as she looked around for an escape. He forced her attention on him again. 

“My dear,” the man said in a low voice. He took her hand and kissed it. Anna shuddered at his touch. His voice flooded her mind. 

“ _I will devour you the next time we meet,_ ” he told her, _But tonight…_ The man pulled back and let go. 

_August 2nd, 2009._

Anna awoke panting in a cold sweat. She shut her eyes to calm herself down. They were starting again, but the last nightmare was on New Year’s Day of 2005. She hadn’t seen that man since that night. Why was she _even_ dreaming about that night all over again? Anna looked down next to her. Tsuzuki was lost in a heavy peaceful sleep. The woman gave him a kind, little smile. 

_Asato-kun…_ , she thought. The woman lightly stroked his cheek with her fingertips. Her mind came back to her nightmares. Something told Anna they weren’t going away again. Anna climbed out of the futon and walked over to her desk. The woman pulled out her diary from her drawer and began writing. 

_August 2nd, 2009:_

_They are starting again; I am seeing that night in my dreams. It’s like a movie in hi-def: The feathers all over the sand, the blood, her eaten, soulless body, his voice in my head, him kissing my hand…_

Anna paused and trembled at her words. She forced herself to keep writing. 

_Why are they coming back after so long? Is he coming back for me? No, please! I don’t want to die again! I still have to get revenge. I can’t forget what he said to me that night. “I will devour you the next time we meet, but tonight, I will let you go.”_

Anna looked into the darkness as she suddenly felt cold.


	2. Botanmochi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuki and Anna grow closer together-- much to the displeasure of Hisoka, Lucy, Thanatos, and the rest of Ju-Oh-Cho.

_Chapter Two: Botamochi:_

The next morning cheered right up when Tsuzuki awoke to his beloved huddled over him. 

“Morning,” she whispered. A smile spread onto his face. 

“Hey,” he whispered back as the shinigami gently reached up and played with her hair. 

“Sleep well?” Anna asked. 

“Mmm,” Tsuzuki replied, “I dreamed of you last night.” Anna eyed him closely. 

“Really now?” she asked, “What did you dream about?” 

“Let me show you,” Tsuzuki offered. He lured her in close for a kiss and she found herself happy to give in. 

Outside, Thanatos watched with a sneer glued onto her face. _They’re at it again!_ , she thought. She still couldn’t believe Tatsumi was talked out of that summons like that. Something or someone got to him and she was determined to find out whom. However, Thanatos wasn’t the only one not enjoying the newfound romance. 

Obviously, the Ju-Oh-Cho disapproved of the relationship. Tatsumi wanted to gag at the loving glance they stole at each other. Despite the relationship being open, the couple still had to follow Japanese etiquette. Tatsumi practically kicked himself every waking hour for letting Hotaru talk him into letting the couple stay together. The secretary figured out what Hotaru pulled on him. 

_She used as spell on me_ , Tatsumi thought in shock, _Why that…?!? She just…?!? What…_?!? He planned on how to get revenge on her later. 

Hisoka dealt with it the hardest. He had developed feelings for Tsuzuki over the years and he hoped that he would be able to tell his partner one day. Now, that moment was robbed from him because Tsuzuki loved someone else-- a woman no less. He always came to work over the moon from last night; this morning was no different. 

Hisoka wanted to scream at him to stop grinning all the time. The boy couldn’t even look the older shinigami in the eye without feeling more heartbreak. Hisoka tried not to it get to him. _It’s none of my business! It’s none of my business!_ , he would tell himself repeatedly, but that only weighted the pain down. 

“Something wrong?” a voice asked him. The boy quickly looked up to find Tsuzuki’s face inches from his own. This morning’s afterglow hadn’t died down yet. Hisoka felt like screaming at him. Instead, he shook his head. 

“N-Nothing,” he lied. His partner eyed him in concern. 

“Hisoka,” Tsuzuki spoke up, “I will always be here if you need to talk; you do know that, right?” The boy pressed his lips together and nodded. Tsuzuki smiled as he patted him on the shoulder. 

“Good,” he replied. The man went back over to his desk to pretty much slack off. Hisoka could tell that Tsuzuki was going to be lost in another fantasy with Anna soon. The boy sighed and lowered his head. 

That evening, Tsuzuki, Anna, and Hisoka all ate dinner out together at a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo. The boy looked on as his partner and his girlfriend subtle way. He tried to understand the bond they built between over a month. Anna seemed to comprehend Tsuzuki really deeply and vice versa with the shinigami to the woman. Their bond might have been as strong as his with Tsuzuki’s, but it was just… Hisoka shut his eyes to search for the answer. 

“Disgusting, isn’t it?” a voice questioned in his ear. Hisoka quickly opened his eyes and whipped around. Lucy sat behind his table with a lit cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Hisoka blinked at her. 

“You’re not allowed to smoke here, you know?” he pointed out. Lucy rolled her eyes. 

“Such a goody-goody,” she mumbled. The Goth snubbed out her cigarette. 

“Anyway,” she went on, “I would rather steal him from you than her.” Hisoka gave her a funny look. 

“What?” he asked. Lucy smiled and shook her head. 

“Oh come on!” she said, “I have seen it in your eyes since we first met!” Hisoka went quiet. “Am I that obvious?” the look in his eyes asked. Lucy patted him on the shoulder. 

“There, there,” she murmured, “You should have been bolder with Tsuzuki. Now…” Lucy looked over at the couple. They were feeding each other Shumai dumplings with their chopsticks. She turned back to a somber Hisoka. 

“I don’t like it either,” she said, “But, it is what it is; get used to it.” Hisoka sat in uncomfortable silence. Anna giggled aloud as Tsuzuki spoke. Their love made everyone around them cringe and roll their eyes.


	3. Night Drinks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna comes home after dinner to find Rihoko sitting alone in the dark. After a few drinks, some secrets spill out.

_Chapter Three: Night Drinks:_

Tsuzuki walked Anna home after dinner. She snuggled up close to him in the thick summer night. The warmth of his body stirred her heart; she wished he could stay with her tonight. The woman even tried to entice him to her bed, but Tsuzuki refused. 

“I have to work tonight,” he told her, “But I’ll make it up to you tomorrow night, okay?” Anna snuggled up close to his chest. 

“Mmm, okay,” she said, “But you better promise!” Tsuzuki smiled at her. 

“Right,” he said. He kissed her good night at her door and vanished. Anna let the kiss linger on her lips before going inside. She took in a deep breath at the door. It was a nice change to have their relationship out in the open. Too bad Hisoka seemed so sad about it. 

_Maybe I’ll talk to him later_ , Anna thought. He probably won’t listen, but she at least had to try. 

A light sound caught Anna’s ear in the dark. Her eyes looked into the living room and she spotted Rihoko sitting alone in the dark with a bottle of wine in her hands. The grad student looked up and saw her housemate. 

“Hey,” she whispered with a little wave. Anna gave her a little smile. 

“Hi there,” she said back, “What are you doing up so late?” The young mother shrugged her shoulders with the bottle to her chest. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” Rihoko said. Anna walked into the living room. Her housemate had on her pajamas, a tank top and white shorts. Her heavy breasts looked like they were going to pop out of her top at any moment. Anna wondered how much Rihoko’s back hurt because of them. 

“Ah,” she said as she sat down next her. The woman pulled a black band out of her ponytail and shook her auburn hair loose. 

“Drink?” Rihoko offered as she held the bottle out to her. Anna raised an eyebrow at her. 

“What is it?” she asked. 

“Peach wine,” the roommate said, “I bought it last year and forget I had it until I looked around in the fridge.” 

“Sure,” Anna said with a smile. Rihoko poured the “ghost” a glass. Anna took a sip and shivered at the taste. 

“It’s so cold!” she said. 

“Like it?” the grad student asked. 

“It’s good once you get past the cold,” her roommate said after she took a second sip. Rihoko smiled a bit. 

“Yeah,” she said, “That was my first reaction too. I can’t believe that I had it this long.” Anna took another sip and the roommate did the same. In a couple of hours, the spirits began to raise high and with that, lips became loose. Anna turned to Rihoko with a grin. 

“I had weird dreams when I was in college,” she confessed. The other woman looked at her. 

“I worry about being a good mother to Yoko-chan,” she said back. Anna raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Huh?” she asked, “What do you mean?” Rihoko finished her sip as she became somber. 

“I messed up my life,” she reasoned, “My parents were getting a divorce by the time I started high school. They didn’t pay much attention to me; so, I started looking for love and attention elsewhere.” She took another drink. “I met this beautiful boy in my sophomore year of high school,” Rihoko went on as she turned her glass in her hand, “We dated for almost two years. Needless to say, we moved too fast and I got pregnant at seventeen.” She finished off her glass and poured another one. “As the cliché goes,” she said, “He left me for another girl at seven months and I had Rihoko in a city clinic.” She took another drink and sat back against the couch. 

“It’s been a struggle ever since,” the woman went on, “I have to balance school and my daughter. My parents haven’t even called me once to say hi.” She sighed aloud and lowered her head. “I was just thrown in without a map or a destination,” Rihoko said, I don’t think I’m doing it right.” Anna smiled and shook her head. 

“You’re a good mother,” she said. Rihoko looked at her with big surprised eyes. 

“You mean it?” she asked. Her roommate nodded. 

“Yoko-chan is happy and healthy. She’s a bright child as well,” she said, “You did right by her.” Rihoko eyed her amazed. 

“Really?” she asked, “You believe all of that.” 

“Yeah,” Anna said. Rihoko sat in disbelief at what she just heard. 

“Wow,” she mouthed. Rihoko looked at her roommate. 

“What about your dreams?” she asked. Anna blinked at her. 

“Huh?” she asked. The question took a moment to sink in. Anna giggled when she realized what she was talking about. 

“Oh,” she said, “Oh yeah. I had strange dreams in college.” 

“About?” Rihoko asked. Anna swallowed her drink. 

“Different things,” she said, “Once there was this nude woman with wings wrapped with red ribbons.” Rihoko looked intrigued. 

“What was this about?” she asked. 

“Who knows?” Anna replied with a shrug before she took another drink. “I don’t think I’ll ever know,” she said. Rihoko smiled as she drank. 

“Sounds silly to me,” she said. Anna thought about that statement and laughed. 

“Yeah, I guess,” she said, “It does sound silly.” Both girls laughed, but then it hit Anna hard. Her eyes opened wide as she stopped laughing. The images flashed in her mind over and over again: the feathers, the blood, her body, his smirking face. Anna broke down trembling as she hurled up into a little ball. 

“Anna?” Rihoko asked as she shook on her friend, “Anna, what’s wrong? You look so pale.” It all pounded up in the other woman’s mind and cracked. 

“Just leave me alone, okay?” she cried as she shoved off Rihoko. Anna got up and ran all the way to her room.


	4. The Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the boys get another Eda-Kimoto case, Yasuo and his younger brother make bet to see who kills Anna first. Plus, he is coming for her.

_Chapter Four: The Body:_

_January 7th, 1984._

He followed her home; it was her perfume that drew him into her. Oh, they had met earlier; days earlier to be frank. 

Ami Wong was an eighteen-year-old runaway. Good kid who was bored with her life in Hong Kong, she saved up her paychecks and took off. Most of the people she met looked down upon her, but not him. He helped her get started in Japan. He and his then-girlfriend took Ami in and let her stay in their apartment. He even helped her get a job. The young girl felt like she had become part of their family, but that was only the surface. 

His girlfriend soon became jealous of Ami. He was spending more time with the runaway than her. The girlfriend grew cold to him. He couldn’t understand why. 

“Amaya-chan, what’s wrong?” he said two nights before the kill. Amaya glared at him in her mirror. 

“Have fun on your little date?!?” she snapped. He blinked at her. 

“What are you talking about?” he questioned rather confused. She sneered as she turned from the vanity table. 

“Don’t give me that!” the girlfriend barked, “I’ve seen how you are around that little bitch!” 

“I’m just being nice to her!” he shot back, “I don’t understand you! You always do this to my female friends!” Her cold eyes spoke for her. He sighed and shook his head. 

“I don’t love her,” he said, “I love you!” She still glared at him. 

“Prove it!” Amaya snapped. He looked confused at where this game was headed. 

“How?” he asked. His girlfriend narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Kill her,” she said. Her boyfriend blinked with a pale face. 

“What?!?” he asked. Amaya smirked at him, happy to have his attention. 

“If you love me, kill the little bitch,” she said, “You need to anyway.” He raised an eyebrow at her. 

“What are you saying?” he asked. 

“Your life is slipping away,” she said, “I know about your little nose bleeds!” _She knows I’m dying!_ , he thought with his eyes widened in panic. 

“So?” Amaya offered, “Are you going to kill her or not?” He swallowed at her question. She managed to trap him like this once again. Amaya always did this to get rid of her competition with other women. It would be either kill the other woman or there would be no sex in his future. He paused and finally nodded. 

“Okay, I’ll do it,” he said with shut eyes. Amaya had the look of a twisted happy child after tormenting a defenseless cat. 

“Good boy,” she cooed. 

_August 3rd, 2009._

The boys in Ju-Oh-Cho began today’s meeting when Tatsumi started up the slideshow. 

“These victims were all murdered in Kyoto,” he explained, “Their insides badly crushed and the heart looks to have been exploded.” 

“Is it Eda-Kimoto?” Tsuzuki asked. 

“Judging by the burns, yes,” Older Gushoshin said. The slide changed to a close-up of one of the victim’s wrists. They looked similar to Yasuo’s marks, only these burns were a little different. 

“Eda, Kimoto, and… fish?” Watari read aloud, “Where did the fish come from?” 

“Guess it’s a different mark with each member,” Hisoka reasoned. 

“Either way,” Konoe cut in, “Tsuzuki, Watari, Kurosaki, find them and bring them in to be judged!” 

“Yes!” the boys said before they headed out. 

Meanwhile, he followed his latest prey back to her dorm. Her perfume drew him in, just like Ami’s did, twenty-five years ago. He licked his lips as his prey unpacked her book bag. Oh, being a professor had its perks. 

“I don’t get it,” a voice said behind him. His rolled his eyes at his older brother. 

“Don’t do that!” he snapped. Yasuo smirked at him. 

“Still targeting your students, eh Shichiro?” he asked. His brother glared at him. 

“Yeah,” he said, “What’s it to you?” Yasuo only shook his head. 

“They just seem so… beneath you,” he said. The younger brother glared at him as he waved him off. 

“Oh and I should go after amoral women like you?” Shichiro challenged, “No thanks, you’ve got that covered.” 

“Just saying,” the older brother offered. The younger brother smirked at him like his own kitsune. 

“And how is the hunt for Anna going?” he asked. Yasuo glared at him. 

“Shut up!” he hissed. Shichiro shrugged at him. 

“Just saying,” he said back. An idea came into Shichiro’s mind after he said that. “Say,” he said, “Let’s see who can kill her first as a bet.” Yasuo looked at him oddly. 

“How do you mean?” he asked. The younger brother gave him an innocent-looking smile. 

“Oh, just a little bet,” he said. “Loser is subjected to ridicule for the rest of their life. What say you?” Yasuo thought about while Shichiro waited for a reply. His brother finally smiled at him. 

“Okay then, I’ll take your bet!” he said. 

“You’re on!” he said with a grin. The men bowed to seal the bet, but they aren’t the only ones after Anna. 

He stood over his latest victim as he finished redressing himself. Her body lied bloody and half-eaten at his feet. He only ripped out and ate her lower jaw, wings, stomach, and her left breast. The remaining bite marks on the skin only suggested nibbling. He didn’t even get to the climax with her. Yet another angel became a victim of deviant hunger. This man didn’t even care if the body would be found out here in the park or not. Just like the others, she was just leftover parts left to be picked apart by wild animals. His shook his head unimpressed; they all tasted the same to him. He was sick of angels; this man was in the mood for a kitsune-tsukai. Lucky for him, he knew exactly where to find her. Not now, that wouldn’t be fun; he would wait and see her, three nights' time.


	5. Good Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More with Becky and the girls as she inspires them to keep looking for Anna and rewards them with a trip to Kyoto. Just a nice filler.

_Chapter Five: Good Friends:_

Becky looked out the hotel window; four whole months and still nothing. She knew the police were dragging them in circles with the case. What were they hiding? Becky’s mind tripped back to the worst. 

“Becky,” a voice spoke up. The blonde woman looked up and turned around. A woman with short red hair looked at her concerned. Becky’s blue eyes met her brown ones. 

“Yes, Willow?” she asked. The woman shuffled a bit where she stood. 

“We haven’t found Anna in four months,” she pointed out. 

“I know,” Becky replied. 

“You sure she’s still alive?” Willow asked. 

“The police won’t even show us her body!” the former club president replied, “In fact…” The woman stood up from her spot. “I think the police are hiding something!” she finished. A collective groan filled the room. Becky looked around confused. 

“What?” she asked. Gillian rolled her eyes at her. 

“It’s been four months!” she yelled. 

“I know,” Becky repeated. 

“No, you don’t” Gillian replied. Becky looked at her with a frown on her face. 

“What?” she asked. Willow herself looked rather somber. 

“You don’t get it, do you?” she asked, “Four months and we have nothing!” 

“Clare’s dad is starting to get suspicious,” Gilliam said, “He might stop sending us money to stay here.” Becky looked at them in sympathy. 

“Look,” she insisted, “This isn’t a wild goose chase; something tells me that there is something wrong here. Why haven’t we seen a body if Anna was dead?” The girls went quiet as Becky became serious. 

“Exactly,” she said. 

“So, what are you getting at?” Willow responded. 

“This country is hiding something,” Becky summed up with a smile, “What? I don’t know just yet.” Gillian rolled her eyes. 

“And if there isn’t?” she asked. Becky bit her lower lip. 

“Well then… We go home,” she said. 

“Fine,” Gillian said sternly, “We’ll stay longer.” Becky began to smile. 

“Thanks,” she said. “In fact, let’s take a break tomorrow.” Willow, Gillian, and the other girls looked surprised. 

“Serious?” Gillian asked. 

“Yeah,” Becky said with a nod, “You guys deserve it after all.” 

“Ooo, can we go anywhere?” Clare cheered. 

“Sure,” the former president said. The rich woman smiled up to her ears. 

“Sweet!” she cheered, “Can we go to Kyoto tomorrow?” Becky smiled and nodded. 

“Sure,” she said. 

“Yay!” Clare cheered as she felt like flying. Gillian rolled her eyes. 

“What’s so great about Kyoto anyway?” she questioned. Clare eyed her as if she was looking at the crazy cat lady. 

“What’s so great about it?!?” she yelled, “Kyoto is flooded with history, religion, and culture!” The Pink Floyd fan looked away with a smirk. 

“Figures,” Gillian said, “You always were a history nut!”Clare stuck her tongue out at her. 

“So? History to me is like Pink Floyd to you.” she challenged. 

“Not the same!” Gillian corrected. 

“Yes, it is,” Clare argued. 

“No, it isn’t!” her wilder friend said with her tongue sticking out. 

“Yeah, it is!” the rich woman said as she both her hands on her hips. Becky cleared her throat and both women went quiet. Their former president smiled. 

“It’s settled then,” she said, “We’ll go to Kyoto.” Clare stuck her tongue out at Gillian again. This time, the other friend pretended not to notice. 

“Right, whatever makes the history nut happy!” Gillian replied. Clare gave her a playful push on the arm. 

“Pink Floyd freak!” she said. Gillian razzed her back. 

“Shut it, you!” she said jokingly. 

“Right,” Becky cut in. Clare and Gillian smiled at her. 

“We’re only play-fighting,” Clare said. Gillian grinned as she nodded. 

“Business as usual!” she chimed. Becky only looked at the close pair. 

“Every damn time!” she mumbled to herself. The close friends only grinned at her.


	6. Night Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna reflects on another old dream that she had once until she gets some company.

_Chapter Six: Night Terrors:_

Anna sat in the darkness with her journal as she rebelled against sleep. Her mind had become tangled with the past. The woman couldn’t understand it; her dreams ended during grad school. Why have they resurfaced after five years? He can’t be coming for her now, could he? 

Anna shut her eyes to block him out, but saw the feathers on the sand again. That angel shouldn’t have died. What did she do to get involved with him? Anna opened her eyes and opened her desk drawer. She ran her fingers along the filled notebooks. She drew out the ’03-’04 one. Anna opened it up and read the first page. 

_9/9/03_

_I saw her again last night; the woman wrapped up in ribbons. I don’t know who she is. I don’t think I’ve seen her in real life. I always see the red ribbons first. She looks caught up in them like a fly in a spider web. She’s not in pain, however. I can’t describe what she feels. I just remember ribbons._

_9/12/03_

_The ribbons are so blood crimson. They almost drown out the woman. Her skin looked a cool white. She doesn’t struggle. She just stays in her prison. I can’t understand it._

_9/17/03_

_Such a deep red; it almost blocks her out. Her wings seem to pop out at me. The feathers look rather sharp…_

Anna froze up at those words. She never could put a meaning to that dream. The therapist tried to suggest many meanings to it. Anna would nod and pretend to agree. It was better that way. She didn’t care about the meaning by that point. The woman wanted to why it kept occurring. 

_9/20/03_

_Didn’t see her tonight; she comes and goes. I’m lucky she’s a benign dream. I hadn’t had a violent nightmare yet. Not since that night…_

Anna’s heart ached as she remembered Daisuke’s death. That night seemed to have set off her dreams; or was it days before high school graduation? Both traumas from the events had become muddled up in her head. Anna sat back in her chair and looked at the ceiling. Her mind was just going in circles again. A knock on the door brought Anna back to earth. 

“Yes?” she whispered. 

“Anna-san?” a tiny voice whispered. The woman looked up to see her door was opened a crack. 

“Yoko-chan?” Anna asked softly as she blinked confused. The door slowly slid open and the little girl stared at her. She had on a dark blue puppy nightgown with her hair down. Anna couldn’t understand why she was here. 

“Yoko-chan?” she asked, “What are you still doing up?” The little girl eyed her. 

“Why are you still up?” she asked. 

“Uh…” Anna said sheepishly as she glanced away. “Couldn’t sleep,” she admitted. 

“Why?” Yoko-chan asked. Anna bit her lip. 

“Well…” she said as she looked down at her lap. 

“Bad dreams?” the little girl asked. Anna looked up surprised. Yoko-chan only stared at her as the woman found herself at a loss for words. Even a little kid could see that she was having problems. The woman looked down at her feet. 

“You could say that,” she said in a low voice. Yoko-chan said nothing as she walked into the room and sat down next to Anna on the floor. It was then the woman decided to do something about her nightmares—again.


	7. Melatonin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuki pays Anna a visit in Tokyo-- only to learn about the problem that is slowly developing.

_Chapter Seven: Melatonin:_

_October 7th, 1997._

Seattle, Washington. Oaklyn Mental Hospital was closed for the night. This was a slow autumn night. A twenty-one-year-old patient had escaped from her room. She was born with schizophrenia, but was only diagnosed when she was thirteen. This was her fourth hospital placement. This patient was prone to self-harm. The scars on her neck, chest, ribcage, arms, and legs over the years were proof of this. She heard voices that kept telling her to hurt herself and other people. She wanted to make them stop. Thus the multiple suicide attempts from ages ten to present day. Doctors always were on watch with the young blonde. However, that wasn’t true tonight. 

The patient, who shall be named Mary for now, snuck out of her room on this particular night. Once again, she wanted to die. Mary timed her plan down to the tee. Wait until everyone was asleep then move. She knew her way to the drugs; her need to die led her there. Even so, the trip wasn’t an easy one. They strapped her down to the bed every night. However tonight, Mary escaped. 

She made it to the doctor’s office and came to the drug cabinet. They locked it for the night. Mary feverishly tried to pull apart the chain. It popped loose after a few tugs. She pulled open the cabinet door. Mary started just grabbing pills at random. The voices screamed in her head now. She trembled and huddled up into a ball on the floor. 

_Shut up!_ , she thought. The patient opened the first bottle and began swallowing pills. Mary kept swallowing until a thick black veil fell upon her. 

Mary opened her eyes and saw a screen of black. She felt her body dropping. Not too fast, but more of floating down like a leaf. Her eyes trailed all around her. She smelt of burnt hair and rubber flooded her nose. She could hear faint screaming below. Mary strained to listen closely. These people were screaming in agony. She realized that she was falling towards Hell. Mary shut her eyes in panic. 

“No!” she screamed in her mind, “I don’t want to go to hell! I didn’t do anything wrong! Don’t let me go to hell! Don’t make me go! Please don’t make me go!” Suddenly, Mary stopped falling. She felt her body rising upwards. Her scattered mind was confused. Where was she going now? 

A cool white light hit her face. Mary opened her eyes and looked around. Quiet, not the mind-raping type, more like a nerve-calming quiet filled her head. Mary’s feet touched cool soft grass. Fauna and flora grew like a virus before her. A soft breeze tapped her on the cheeks. Mary’s eyes widened. 

_This is…_ , she thought. Off to the left, something caught her eye. A man was tending to this lovely garden. His strong hands planted some irises in a fresh dirt patch. The sun kissed his skin many times over the years. Mary turned for a better look. He paused from his work and looked up. She only got to see his face for a brief second. 

Mary awoke on the doctor’s office door. To her amazed relief, she heard silence, nerve-relaxing silence. 

_August 6th, 2009._

Tokyo, Japan. 

Tsuzuki made it to Kimoto Manor’s front door and rang the bell. Rihoko greeted him at the door. 

“Hey Tsuzuki,” she said. 

“Hey,” he said back, “Is Anna in?” The grad student’s face became grim. 

“Yeah, she’s in her room,” she replied. The shinigami eyed her oddly. 

“Something wrong?” he asked. Rihoko bit her lip as she leaned in close. 

“It’s Anna,” she whispered, “She hasn’t been sleeping very well.” Tsuzuki blinked at her. 

“Well, why not?” he asked. Rihoko shrugged at him. 

“She won’t tell me,” she replied, “Do come in.” Tsuzuki walked inside. He found Anna on her laptop in her room. Tsuzuki slowly approached her from behind. His girlfriend didn’t look up. He peeked over her shoulder at the screen. 

“What are you reading?” he whispered. Anna didn’t turn around. 

“A schizophrenia case from ’97,” she said, “This woman had the disease for eight years on record. They didn’t catch it until she was thirteen years old. She was also suicidal. One night, she snuck into the doctor’s office and tried to overdose.” Anna scrolled down to let her boyfriend read more of the file. “While out cold, she said she saw Hell and Heaven. After that, she didn’t hear voice anymore. She went on to be a Sunday school teacher.” 

“Anna-chan,” Tsuzuki spoke up. The shinigami pushed himself to keep talking when she didn’t respond. 

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked. 

“Yes…” she said, “Why?” Her boyfriend tried to think of the best way to put this. The man shuffled his feet. 

“Rihoko said…” the shinigami began. His girlfriend glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. 

“Rihoko said what?” she asked. Tsuzuki hesitated at the sound of her tone. Could he say it without pissing her off? He would have to try. 

“She said you haven’t been sleeping well,” the shinigami said. Tsuzuki waited as Anna clicked on another link. 

“It’s just nightmares,” she shrugged off. 

“I’m here if you have a problem,” the shinigami told her, “But, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” 

“I thank you for that, but this is beyond you,” she explained as she scrolled down article about nightmares and dreams. Tsuzuki made a puzzled face at that statement. 

“What do you mean?” he asked. Anna paused; she couldn’t tell him the truth just yet. The woman took her hand off the mouse. 

“Okay, but only when I need your help,” she said. “I want to fix this problem myself first.” 

“Alright,” Tsuzuki said, “But how?” This time, Anna turned around to face him. 

“I’m going to see a therapist,” she said sounding matter of fact. Tsuzuki’s face went pale as he couldn’t stomach that idea. 

“But you can’t!” he protested. 

“What else can I do?” she asked, “These nightmares won’t leave me alone until I do something about them.” The woman took his hand as she saw the worry in his eyes. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell them my true identity,” she assured. 

“Promise me you’ll come to me when it doesn’t work,” he pleaded. 

“I will,” Anna said in a soft voice as Tsuzuki held her close to him. She took some temporary comfort in his arms.


	8. Bruxism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna goes to the therapist about her dreams.

_Chapter Eight: Bruxism:_

Anna made the appointment after Tsuzuki left. She would see a therapist tomorrow morning. Tsuzuki still didn’t think it was a good idea, but he didn’t try to discourage her from it; he promised after all. The next morning, Anna was heading out when she found Rihoko waiting at the front door. 

“Sure about this?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Anna replied without a thought. Rihoko put on a brave face as she went quiet. 

“Be careful,” she murmured. 

“I will,” her roommate replied before she headed out the door. 

Tokyo Counseling Services was in downtown Tokyo. Anna kept her face low the whole time as she took the subway. Japan thought her to be dead. It would cause rather a shock to find her alive and walking around. She made sure not to talk to anybody because of that little fact. The woman looked out the window instead. Anna got off with the flood of people. It was so easy to disappear among them after being “dead.” She paid with cash and walked the rest of the way there. Anna breezed through the front doors of the clinic. The woman filled out the paperwork and the receptionist looked over it before she glanced at Anna. 

“Take a seat, Niwa-san,” she said. 

“Thank you,” Anna said with a bow. She sat down in one of the chairs. Anna looked all around her. Nice enough-looking room she was in. Not many people here today; just an elderly couple and a mom with a zoned-out child. Anna looked up at the ceiling. 

_Looks the same as his office in the US_ , she thought aimlessly. Only, this ceiling was creepy clean. Anna looked over at the direction of the sound of a door opening wide. A young man in a new business suit came out with a chart in his hand. He looked about a year younger than she was. The man looked at her for a moment. 

“Niwa Midori,” he called off the chart. Anna sat up in her seat. 

“Right here,” she said. 

“Please follow me,” the young man told her. He went back towards his office with Anna following behind. The young man opened the door and they went inside. Anna examined the room. She found the setting rather puzzling. This office looked rather like someone’s living room with the furniture, carpet, and décor. Nothing about this place even looked remotely professional. Even the man had pictures of his family all over the walls. The woman turned to the doctor. 

“Is this someone’s living room?” she asked. The young man gave her a little smile. 

“We’re trying out a new approach with the atmosphere,” he explained, “Helps people open up more without the distractions of a psychiatrist’s office; take a seat.” 

“Ah,” Anna said before she sat down. The color scheme of bright yellow and white felt a little too personal for her taste to be honest with her. However, this was the best clinic nearby and she decided to make the most of for the time being. The doctor sat down on the other side of the coffee table. Anna watched from the couch as he pulled out a tape recorder and his notebook. The young doctor looked up at her from his black leather armchair. 

“Do you mind if I tape this session?” he asked. 

“No, go ahead,” Anna replied. The therapist put in a fresh tape and hit record. 

“August 7th, 2009. I am Dr. Fujimiya and I’m with a patient. Please state your name.” 

“Niwa Midori.” 

“Please tell me your age.” 

“Twenty-six.” 

“Tell me about these dreams you’ve been having.” 

“Well, they started nine years ago. I was in college when they started.” 

“How old were you at the time?” 

“Eighteen.” 

“Go on. What else about these dreams?” 

“They are kind of hard to explain.” 

“Try.” 

“Okay, they switch all around. Sometimes, I dreamt of this woman with white wings naked and tangled up in many red ribbons.” 

“Who is she to you?” 

She paused on the tape. “I can’t say; I don’t know and I’ve never seen her before, but I’m lucky.” 

“Why is that?” 

“She’s a benevolent dream.” 

“Benevolent? What would you consider malevolent?” 

She paused again on the tape. “Five summers ago, I saw a murder. This man savagely raped and killed this woman. Afterwards, he turned and saw me. I panicked, but he let me go that night. Since then, I’ve had nightmare about him.” 

“Okay, so what exactly do you want?” 

“They have come back. I want to know why and how to stop them.” 

The therapist scribbled down some notes to paper. “Hm, any other traumatic events other than what you wrote on the form?” 

“Not really; just my father’s death on Halloween in 1999 and nearly being raped by my swim captain days before we graduated. I already went over those years ago.” 

He took more notes after her answer. “I see.” 

“So? What does this mean?” 

“By the looks of it, I will need a little assistance. Listen closely; I’m going to refer you to a colleague of mine in Kyoto. He is a dream specialist and can help you better with this than I can.” 

“Why is that?” 

“He was my mentor; my field is more general. Here, this is the address of his practice.” 

“Thank you.” Anna paused as she read over the card. “Are we done, doctor?” 

“Yes, Niwa-san, you may go.” He hit stop on the tape recorder.


	9. Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuki's latest nightmare about Muraki sparks worry about Anna into the Shinigami.

_Chapter Nine: Silence:_

_-Tsuzuki’s Dream-_

Kyoto, Japan. Tsuzuki awoke when cold water landed on his cheek. His eyes slowly fluttered open, but the bright lights nearly blinded him. He narrowed his eyes to look around. 

_Is this a…church?_ he thought. 

“You’re finally awake, Tsuzuki-san,” a voice cooed that his blood run cold. _Oh god!_ , he thought. _Please don’t tell me…_ The shinigami slowly looked up to see Muraki’s face was inches from his. Tsuzuki flew into panic mode. 

“M-Muraki!” he stammered out, “W-What are you doing here?!?” The doctor licked his lips at him. 

“So beautiful,” he murmured like ice. His hand caressed his right cheek. “That’s why I love you so much,” the mad doctor cooed. 

“What did you say?!?” Tsuzuki asked, backing away in disgust. Muraki smirked at him. 

“This is why,” the mad doctor went on. He stood up and walked up to an altar. Tsuzuki watched as his heart went into panic. His beloved Anna was tied to a large silver cross dressed like a Japanese bride. Muraki had kidnapped her from Tokyo and brought her to Kyoto. Her body looked badly beaten, but she was still barely alive. Tsuzuki’s heart screamed in pain as Muraki walked up to the cross. 

“I must make this sacrifice to you,” the doctor finished. 

“What?!? Why?!?” he cried. Muraki pulled out a silver dagger. 

“She gets in the way of the bond between us,” he replied. “She must be killed for it.” 

“No!” Tsuzuki cried. “Let my Anna-chan go! I beg of you!” 

“I’m sorry, Tsuzuki-san,” he said. “This is only way.” He raised the knife above his head. The shinigami watched on in horror. 

“No! Stop it!” he cried. “No!” The doctor plunged the knife deep into her chest as if he was raping her. Tsuzuki watched on powerless as her blood soaked her kimono. The shinigami trembled and grabbed onto himself. The tears began to form in his eyes as he felt like dying inside. 

“Anna-chan…” he whimpered. An enraged Muraki made his way to his prize. 

_-End of Dream-_

Tsuzuki awoke with an icy sweat and looked around as he panted hard. Watari, Hisoka, and 003 were sound asleep in their futons. _Anna-chan…_ , Tsuzuki thought as he trembled. The shinigami leapt out of his futon and hurried out to the renter house’s back porch. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. The other line rang. 

“Come on, pick up!” Tsuzuki mumbled. His heart pounded against his chest as he tried not to think of the worst. 

“Hello?” Anna said on the other line. Tsuzuki breathed out in relief. 

“Anna-chan,” he said. “Thank goodness!” 

“What’s wrong, Asato-kun?” she asked. 

“Are you okay?” he asked in a rushed whisper. 

“Yes,” Anna said. “Why? What’s wrong?” Tsuzuki tried to calm down again. 

“No reason,” he lied. “I just miss you.” 

“Okay,” Anna said unconvinced. 

“How was therapy?” her boyfriend asked. 

“He’s referring me to his mentor in Kyoto,” the woman answered. Tsuzuki’s eyes widened at her words. 

“To where?” he asked. 

“Kyoto,” Anna repeated. Tsuzuki’s heart did a little flip. 

“When?” he asked in an excited whisper. 

“This afternoon,” Anna replied. 

“Great!” Tsuzuki said quickly. 

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” she asked. 

“No,” he said. 

“It’s just that something’s off in your tone,” she replied. Tsuzuki went quiet in discomfort. 

“Am I that obvious?” he asked. 

“You know how you can tell when I’m trying to hide my problems from you?” Anna asked. 

“Yeah,” her boyfriend answered uneasily. 

“Well, that works both ways now,” she told him. 

“Oh,” the shinigami said quietly. 

“We’ll talk when I get there today, alright?” his girlfriend asked calmly. 

“Okay,” Tsuzuki mumbled with a nod. 

“Love you,” Anna replied. 

“Love you too,” Tsuzuki said back. Tsuzuki relaxed after they hung up together. Anna was fine, for now anyway. He knew Muraki too well; the doctor would slaughter a whole city just to possess the shinigami. Tsuzuki shut his eyes in dread. _If Anna and Muraki crossed paths…_ , he thought. 

“I think I’m going to sick,” Tsuzuki mumbled to himself. He held his phone to his chest. _Anna-chan…_ the shinigami thought. The crack to his darkness had just broken again.


	10. Nocturia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna goes to another therapist. (AN: Sorry for the slowness. I'm stabbing in the dark with this story. So, bear with me.)

_Chapter Ten: Nocturia:_

Anna made it to Kyoto by afternoon. It felt the same as Tokyo as she looked around the subway station. _So this is Kyoto_ , she thought. When she was twelve years old, Kato promised to take her here before she and Daisuke moved out. However, this was no time for sight-seeing; Anna had work to do. The woman reached into her shorts pocket and pulled out the address. 

“Turtle street,” she read to herself. She had to see if this was a joke or not. Once she was certain, the woman went on. Anna walked most of the way there until she came to Kyoto Research Center. Same as Tokyo, then again, she had been to a shrink before. The woman went inside and went through the same procedure. The wait was shorter though. 

In an hour, an older man who looked to be in his forties and well-dressed came out to the waiting room. He looked at his chart. 

“Niwa Midori,” he called. Anna looked up. 

“Right here,” she said. The doctor smiled at her. 

“Right this way,” he said. The man went down the hall to his office and Anna followed behind. The doctor opened his door and went inside. Anna looked around the office. The room was standard-looking this time with a couch, desk, and two chairs were present. It felt like second nature to her. The doctor turned to her. 

“Take a seat,” he said. Anna did so as if she already knew what was coming next. The doctor sat on the other side of the room and took out a notebook. 

“Are you going to tape this session?” Anna asked. The man looked up at her. 

“Do you want me to?” he asked. She shrugged at him. 

“Just asking,” the woman replied. 

“Only if you want,” he offered. Anna thought about it, but then she shook her head. 

“Nah, let’s just go on,” she answered. 

“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” the therapist asked. 

“Yes,” Anna said. 

“Okay then, let’s start,” he spoke up, “My colleague told me about your dreams.” 

“Yes,” she replied. 

The doctor made his first notes as he raised an eyebrow at her; “Any major changes in your life to take place?” 

Anna blushed as his question as Tsuzuki entered her mind. “Well, I have started a new relationship.” 

The therapist looked intrigued, “Boyfriend or girlfriend?” 

“Boyfriend,” she simply answered. 

“How is your relationship?” he asked. 

“So good,” Anna answered in a squeeze. 

The therapist took down more notes, “Anything else?” 

Anna shook her head, “No, not really.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

Anna shrugged, “My boyfriend’s worried about something.” 

“Worried about what?” 

“We’re going to talk about it this evening.” 

“I see.” 

Anna blinked at him, “I’m sorry, but what does my relationship have to do with the dreams I’ve been having?” 

The doctor straightened up his glasses, “Just ruling out other possibilities first.” 

“Ah…” 

“Tell me about your dad’s death.” 

“He was murdered during a home invasion. My fault I’m afraid.” 

“How so?” he asked. 

“One of the attackers came to our door on Halloween in ’99. He said he needed to use out phone for an emergency. I lied at first, but I let him in afterwards.” 

“What happened after that?” 

“They broke in and locked me in the closet. I didn’t see what happened. I only saw the body afterwards.” 

“Do you think is death had something to do with your dreams?” the therapist questioned. 

Anna shrugged. “I don’t know.” The doctor wrote more notes in his notebook. Anna watched him. She already saw where this was going. _This isn’t working_ , she thought, _Shocker there!_ Oh well, might as well humor the good doctor here. He finished up with his notes. 

“Niwa-san, have you heard of PTSD?” 

“Yes,” Anna answered. 

“According to my notes and the tape, you sound similar to a past case a friend of mine had.” 

She raised an eyebrow at him, “Is that so?” 

“Yes.” 

“How can you be so sure of that?” Anna asked. 

The therapist closed up his notes. “I will have to learn more about your case to be certain. Are you available tomorrow?” 

“I don’t know; I’ll have to see.” 

“I would like to talk with you more, here.” He handed her a piece of paperwork. Anna looked at it front and back. 

“Meds?” Ann asked, “Do I really need _all_ of these?” 

“These are just in case, Niwa-san.” 

She blinked rather uneasily at the list, “Alright then.” 

“If you make it in tomorrow, I am available from morning to ten in the evenings.” 

Anna stuffed the piece of paper in her pocket, “Right, right.” She looked around for a pause. “So, are we done?” 

“Yes, you may go,” the therapist took her. 

“Thank you,” Anna replied before they bowed and parted ways. Today was a waste in Anna’s mind. All just like her college years; no progress what so ever.


	11. A Close Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuki takes Anna out for dinner. While out, they begin to talk about the latest problems between them.

_Chapter Eleven: A Close Dinner:_

Anna left the Research Center to have a surprise waiting for her outside. Tsuzuki stood inches away from the building. The woman looked pleasantly surprised as her cheeks turned cotton candy pink. 

“Asato-kun,” she murmured. “What are you doing here?” 

“I came to pick you up for dinner,” the shinigami replied. Anna gave him a little smile. 

“Just dinner?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Tsuzuki said with an innocent nod. Anna looked at him intently. 

“You sure?” she asked in a naughty way. A sweat drop formed on Tsuzuki’s head as his eyes shifted around. 

“Okay, maybe a bit more!” he blurted out, “Maybe…” Anna giggled at his tone. 

“Why do you do that to me?” Tsuzuki whined. Anna smiled as she walked over to him and leaned in close to his ear. 

“Like I said,” she said softly. “I only tease guys I love.” Tsuzuki held her close as his cheeks reddened. They went to Chimoto for dinner. Tsuzuki insisted that it would be his treat. They were quiet at the table as they waited for their food. A question drifted back into Anna’s mind. 

“Asato-kun,” she spoke up. The shinigami glanced at her. 

“Hm?” he asked. 

“Why did you call me all upset this morning?” Anna asked. Tsuzuki didn’t speak as he lowered his eyes to the table. 

“I don’t want you to get killed,” he mumbled. Anna blinked at him. 

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “Did something happen?” What’s the matter?” Tsuzuki shifted his lower eyes away from her. 

“Well…” he began, “Last night, I had this dream that you were stabbed to death in front of me.” Tsuzuki looked so pale as he felt his hands trembling. Anna lightly touched his hand. The shinigami lifted his head to see her giving him a gentle smile. 

“There, there,” Anna murmured, “I won’t let myself be killed without a fight.” 

“But…” Tsuzuki spoke again. 

“Shhh,” Anna whispered, “Don’t speak; just nod.” Her man did so once. Anna gave him a kind smile before she gently kissed him on the tip of his nose. Her fingers lightly stroked his left cheek. Her boyfriend’s face felt so warm as the woman held his face. 

“We will be okay,” she said in a low voice. 

“Anna,” Tsuzuki murmured. 

“No,” the woman whispered. “Just say it back to me; four little words. ‘We will be okay.’” Tsuzuki hesitated as he tried to look away, but her eyes kept drawing his own back to them. He folded by her gaze. 

“We… will be…” Tsuzuki stumbled with his words. Anna waited patiently while the shinigami felt as if he had been caught smoking a blunt and was now holding his breath. Tsuzuki tried again. 

“We will be okay,” he broke down. Anna smiled at him. 

“Thank you,” she said as she bowed her head. The woman let go of him as Tsuzuki only stared at her. Their food arrived and they spoke no more. 

In the back corner, he lowered his paper disgusted. She had a boyfriend now; not a shallow relationship like she had with Henry in college. No, this was intimate with its roots spreading to the very bottom and growing upwards to the summer sky. That meant only one thing. 

_> Maybe it’s time to pay her a little visit tonight_, he thought. He licked his lips as he focused his eyes on her.


	12. Incubus Drill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuki and Anna have a little pillow talk. Then, Anna is lured outside with a low hum.

_Chapter Twelve: Incubus Drill:_

Nobody got laid tonight; it ended up more of cuddling in bed. Tsuzuki managed to move Anna to a separate room in the house with him. Naturally, Hisoka and Watari didn’t approve of this idea. Tsuzuki had to beg and plead to let her stay. They did; if no sex followed afterwards. 

_Damn it! Tsuzuki thought. He had no right to complain; they could’ve said no altogether. That didn’t mean he and Anna couldn’t feel up on each other under the sheets._

“How was therapy?” Tsuzuki asked. 

“Meh,” Anna said with a frown, “Got nowhere.” 

“Nowhere?” he asked. Anna snuggled closer to his chest as she shook her head. 

 “It was the same thing I heard years ago,” she explained, “Nothing changed.” 

“What will you do now?” her boyfriend asked. 

“Don’t know,” She playfully nibbled on his collarbone. “I’ll think of something.” Tsuzuki laced his fingers into the russet locks below him. 

“Remember what I said earlier,” she spoke up. Tsuzuki went somber. 

“We will be okay,” he mumbled. 

“Yes,” Anna whispered, “We will be okay.” She smiled at her boyfriend in a wicked way. 

“Hey, if you’re good maybe we could rent a hotel room and finish our date,” she offered. 

“Shhh!” Tsuzuki whispered with a blush, “They’ll hear you!” Anna looked at the door. 

“I would suck you off here, but they might be ease-dropping,” she said in a cheeky tone. 

“They could…” Tsuzuki was about to protest. He paused and looked down at her. “Wait, you would?” he asked. Anna kissed him on the chest. 

“Yeah,” she said, “We women aren’t the angelic fidget saints we are made out to be. We have our own sexual needs too.” 

“You do?” the shinigami asked. Anna smiled and gave him a tiny kiss on the lips. 

“I would show you right now, but I want to sleep,” she told him. Anna lightly closed her eyes. 

“Night,” she murmured. Tsuzuki smiled to himself in the dark. Anna with naughty desires of her own, huh? He gently kissed her on the top of her head. 

“Good night,” the shinigami whispered to his sleeping angel. He went to sleep himself, lost in his sensual dreams of her. 

Close to midnight, Anna’s nightmare started up again. The blood and feathers became more vivid in her sleep. She couldn’t seem to turn them off if she wanted to. That night kept playing in her head. Suddenly, a low hum slowly drew her eyes open. Anna looked around in a drowsy state. She looked down next to her to see Tsuzuki still sound asleep. Anna rose out of their futon in a trance and quietly left the room. She wandered into the woods behind the house. It wasn’t until the door slid shut behind her that she came back to her senses. Anna jerked her head upwards and looked around her. She found herself outside in the summer night. 

_Huh?_ , Anna thought. _How did I…_ She paused when she felt a cold breeze on her neck. The woman slowly turned forward to see him standing inches away from her grinning mercilessly.


	13. Asmodeus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna meets the man that raped and killed that angel on the beach. He is happy to see her again, but then he smells a change on her...

_Chapter Thirteen: Asmodeus:_

He looked the same as he did five years ago: pale with a dark corrupt charm to him. Too bad it was still lost upon Anna. Every inch of her being screamed, “Run,” but the woman’s spine was paralyzed with ice fear. He took a step closer. 

“Kimoto Anna,” he said in his best Japanese. Anna swallowed hard as she tried to stay tough. She shook her head. 

“Sorry,” the woman lied, “I don’t know you.” His stoic expression didn’t change. 

“Don’t insult my intelligence Anna,” he said. 

It took her a moment to label him better, “Asmodeus.” 

“Thank you,” he replied. Anna tried to make herself back away. Showing fear made things worse, so the woman focused on keeping a brave face. 

“What do you want?” she asked. 

The man smirked at her, “Sorry?” 

“What do you want from me?” Anna asked again. 

He gave her a calm shrug, “Oh nothing much, just to talk.” 

“About what?” Anna started to ask, but before she could part her lips, Asmodeus grabbed onto her wrist with as much pressure to snap it in half. The woman flinched as “Run away!” got louder in her head. She tried to pull away, but he held her still. Asmodeus sniffed at her with a growing excitement in his eyes. Anna stared at him with wide eyes. 

“W-What are you doing?” she stammered out as she tried to pull away again. The charming demon’s eye began to burn up. Rage cracked his icy collected demeanor. 

“Your scent has changed!” he growled. A bead of sweat ran down the side of Anna’s head. 

“What do you mean?” she asked in a small voice. Asmodeus’ hand tremble as its grip tightened around her wrist. Anna winced as she tried to keep it together. The burn built up within this charming demon block by block. 

“A man has touched you,” he growled again. “You’ve lost your virginity, haven’t you? Haven’t you?!?” 

“And what if I have?!?” Anna barked. “I am not your property!” Asmodeus’ burn slowly dropped as he gave her smirk. He simply dropped her wrist. Anna rubbed on it in pain as the charming demon chuckled. 

“You may be spoiled, but your kitsune’s growing power makes up for it,” he said like a disturbed pedophile. Anna’s eyes narrowed at him. 

“You can see inside my soul?!?” she questioned. Asmodeus smiled and shook his head. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already,” he said in fake disappointment, “You’re hurting my feelings.” Anna tried to back away again, her feet still wouldn’t give. Asmodeus chuckled as he patted her on the head. 

“You really do amuse me,” the demon told her. He turned to leave as Anna looked at him. 

“So you’re not going to kill me?” she asked. The charming demon glanced over his shoulder at her. 

“Not yet, I’m not in the mood tonight,” he answered, “Besides…” His voice disappeared into her head. _I want your death to be just as erotic and fitting for a Kimoto tsukai._

Anna looked up at the sky and shuddered while holding herself in a survival hug. She really needed to take a bath.


	14. Sleep Walking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after Anna meets Asomdeus. The venoum has started to infect the healing process.

_Chapter Fourteen: Sleep Walking:_

_August 2nd, 2004._

“Anna!” Becky called on the beach the next morning. 

“Anna!” Gillian yelled. 

“Anna!” Clare yelled. The former photo club was looking around for their friend. She wasn’t in her bed this morning. 

“She couldn’t have gotten far,” Willow said. That didn’t help Becky at all; she turned to the redhead like a scared rabbit. 

“What if she was killed or something?” she cried. 

“Calm down,” Clare brushed off, “This is a private beach.” 

“So?” Becky cried, “Worse things have happened in private communities!” Clare could only nod at that one. True and plus Becky was in worry mode at the moment with logic taking a lunch break. 

“I found her!” Amy yelled. The girls all looked up as the sandy brunette pointed to the water. 

“Is she dead?” Becky asked. Amy gave her her famous, “are you mental?” look at their leader. 

“No,” she said as she pointed to the ocean, “She’s right there!” The girls looked up to see Anna standing in knee deep ocean water. She looked so pale out in a daze. Her friends couldn’t understand. 

“What is she doing?” Gillian whispered. Clare shook her head. 

“You got me,” she replied. Amy walked into the water and approached Anna like a mother to her injured child. 

“Anna,” she said softly with each step, “You don’t look so good. Come out of the water.” Amy came within inches of her friend. She reached out and lightly touched Anna on the arm. The other woman whipped around as her eyes looked possessed by the devil. Her friend backed up. 

“Anna?” she asked. 

“Don’t touch me!” the other woman yelled. Amy and the others stared at her worried. Anna nearly showed no emotion at all. What caused her to snap like this? 

_August 9th, 2009._

“Kimoto-san!” Hisoka called out the next morning. 

“Kimoto-san!” Watari yelled. 

“Anna-chan!” Tsuzuki cried. The shinigami were looking for the missing woman. Tsuzuki awoke to find Anna not in bed with him. Panicked, Tsuzuki dragged his co-workers out of bed to help look for her. Tsuzuki came back over to Hisoka. 

“Found her?” he asked. The boy shook his head. Tsuzuki bit his lip as his partner gently patted him on the shoulder. 

“We’ll find her, I promise,” Hisoka said calmly. The boy saw his worry in his violet eyes when Tsuzuki didn’t speak. 

“Hey!” Watari called from a distance, “I found her! I found Kimoto-san!” Both boys rushed over to the mad scientist. Tsuzuki looked all around. 

“Where?” he asked. Watari pointed forward and Tsuzuki and Hisoka looked outwards. Anna stood up to her calves in the lake. She was pale in a daze and trembling as she stared at the water below. The boys looked confused. 

“What’s she doing?” Hisoka whispered. Tsuzuki slowly walked forward into the water. 

“Tsuzuki!” Watari yelled, “What are you doing? Come back!” The older shinigami didn’t listen as he kept walking towards Anna in the water. He held out his hand to his beloved. 

“Anna-chan,” he murmured, “Just came back inside with us, okay?” Tsuzuki walked closer when she didn’t reply. 

“Anna-chan,” he murmured again. His fingertips brushed against her bare right arm. Anna whipped around so fast that Tsuzuki nearly leapt back in the water. His beloved’s tired eyes looked possessed by the devil like they did five years ago. The shinigami slowly pulled back. 

“Anna-chan?” he asked. 

“Don’t touch me!” she cried. Tsuzuki didn’t back down. 

“Anna-chan?” he asked. “Talk to me; what is the matter?” The woman stared at him with hurt eyes. She started to collapse, but Tsuzuki caught her in time. He clutched her to his chest as he felt her trembling. The shinigami could tell that something shook her to her core. Her heart pounded against their chests. Watari and Hisoka watched from the surface. 

“This is rather unexpected,” Watari replied. Hisoka’s heart began to ache with pain of its own. Asmodeus’ poisonous bite served a healing vein and now the infection had begun to manifest.


	15. Narcolepsy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna breaks down and told Anna about the storm brewing on the surface. Meanwhile, Asmodeus is plotting to severe Anzuki's relationship.

_hapter Fifteen: Narcolepsy:_

It was just like when her friends coaxed her out of the water. Anna sat in her room in a daze the whole day. Tsuzuki watched her from the doorway. He hated her like this; her pain made him untouchable. He didn’t know how to help her at a time like this. Tsuzuki was about to attempt to do so when Hisoka touched his shoulder. His partner looked up at him as the boy shook his head. Tsuzuki pouted at him. 

“Let her be,” Hisoka whispered. The older shinigami opened his mouth to speak. 

“But…” he tried to say. 

“Let her be,” his partner said again. “She’ll talk when she’s ready.” Tsuzuki reluctantly lowered his head. Hisoka gave him a kind smile. 

“Come on,” he said, “We have work to do.” She heard them from inside as both boys walked away. Anna was there physically, but distant mentally. Her mind kept playing that night over and over again in her head. Asmodeus meant to have her. He let her go this time, but next time… 

_I don’t want to tell Asato-kun about this_ , Anna thought. _But, he has to know. What if Asmodeus decides to…_ Anna shook her head, _No! I don’t know what I’d so if anything happened to Asato-kun!_ She huddled her knees to her chest tighter. 

Hours later, the door slid open. Tsuzuki peeked around inside. “Anna-chan,” he whispered, “You in here?” Tsuzuki carefully walked inside when he received no answer. “I brought you some tea,” he whispered as he took a step forward. He found her near the door still looking out of it. Her lover sat down next to her. 

“How are you?” he asked. Tsuzuki looked into the darkness when she didn’t respond. “If you want to talk about it, I’m right here. Okay?” the shinigami offered. Tsuzuki took in a breath and got up to leave. 

“I saw a murder six years ago,” Anna spoke up. Tsuzuki paused in his tracks and glanced over at her. 

“Sorry?” he asked. Anna stared at her tea with blank eyes. 

“Back in ’04, I was at a party at Clare’s beach house,” she explained in a trembling voice, “I couldn’t sleep that night. So, I wandered out to the beach.” It hurt to say it, but it had to come out. “I saw this man rape, eat, and kill an angel,” she broke down, “I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn’t move. Finally, he saw me. I really panicked then. I thought I was going to die.” 

“Listen, you don’t have to say anything else,” Tsuzuki insisted as came back over to her. Anna quickly shook her head. 

“No! I have to say it!” she cried. Tsuzuki held back as he sat back down next to her. 

“Drink up some first,” he told her. Anna nodded and took a sip. She kept her eyes to the floor. 

“He came up to me and kissed my hand,” she went on, “Then he said in my head, ‘I will devour you the next time we meet. But tonight, I will let you go.’” She took another sip. “And last night, he tracked me down,” Anna forced out of her mouth, “Asmodeus had thrown me into his vile game. And… And I don’t want you dragged into my mess!” Her thoughts broke with a light shush. Anna looked up to see Tsuzuki’s face inches from her. He lightly shushed her again. 

“It’ll be okay,” he said softly. Anna stared at him quietly. 

“But…” she murmured. Tsuzuki pressed his forehead against hers. 

“I won’t let anyone hurt!” he declared. 

“But… he’s not like my family!” Anna yelped, “Asmodeus is more than a monster! He’s…” The shinigami gave her a little kiss on the lips. 

“We will be okay,” he told her. 

“Asato-kun…” she murmured. 

“We will be okay,” Tsuzuki told her, “Say that to me.” Anna stared deep into eyes as she gulped softly. 

“We will be okay,” she repeated. Tsuzuki kissed her on the forehead and caressed her face. The numb feeling began to ebb within Anna. 

Outside, Asmodeus had watching them from outside, but anger wasn’t on his mind. In fact, he was plotting to use this relationship to own advantage in his game to ravish the witch. _I will wither their love!_ , he thought with a smirk as he vanished into the thin night air.


	16. A Little Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuki takes Anna out on a date to clear her head. Meanwhile, Becky sees Anna and Tsuzuki together across the street.
> 
> Lyrics by the Smiths

_Chapter Sixteen: A Little Date:_

The next night changed moods. Tsuzuki wanted to take Anna’s mind off of Asmodeus. _Why not a little date?_ , the man thought. He used work as an excuse to do so. Hisoka and Watari didn’t buy it, but they humored him anyway. After a little persuasion with Anna, the couple was out the door. 

“Where do you want to go first?” Tsuzuki asked his date. Anna looked at him. 

“So, I’m picking tonight?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” Tsuzuki said with a nod. Anna thought about her options as she looked around the busy city. _So many people out tonight_ , she observed. Finally, a spot caught her eye. 

“There,” she said pointing. “I want to go there.” Tsuzuki looked out to see a karaoke bar. The shinigami nodded. 

“Okay, we can do that” he said. Tsuzuki himself felt over the moon when Anna began to smile. They walked into Keiko’s Karaoke Bar. The place was starting to fill up tonight as the couple eyed their surroundings. 

“So, want a private room?” Tsuzuki asked. Anna looked up smirking. 

“Depends,” she said. 

“On what?” Tsuzuki asked with an eyebrow raised. 

Anna gave him a rather devilish look in her eye. “On how private you want to be!” she announced. She cuddled up close to her lover. Her hands caressed along his chest. Tsuzuki lightly pushed her off. 

“Now, now, easy there,” he said, “We’ll get to that later.” Anna gave him a little pout. 

“Promise?” she questioned in a whimper. He kissed her on the forehead. 

“Yes, I really do,” he answered. Anna smiled and straightened herself up. Tsuzuki ordered the room and got the key. The couple came to room 130 and Tsuzuki unlocked the door. He let Anna walk through first. 

“You first,” she offered. Tsuzuki gave her a look. 

“Why me?” he asked. His beloved shrugged. 

“Felt like it,” she replied, “Unless you’re scared!” The shinigami shook his head. 

“Fine, fine,” he said as he walked over to the machine. Anna took a seat on the couch as Tsuzuki waited for the music to start up. He sang “Tanko Bushi” in a slow soft tone, almost too slow for the machine to keep up. Anna watched with a blank stare. 

_Isn’t it supposed to be a bit faster?_ , she thought. The woman didn’t complain; Tsuzuki was enjoying himself after all. He finished the song with a 6.6 score. 

“That all?” Anna asked. Tsuzuki eyed her sharply. 

“Then you give it a try,” he challenged her. 

“I think I will!” she said with a smile. The woman rose to her feet and walked over to the machine. Anna looked through the songs in a shuffle. One in particular caught her eye and she punched in the buttons. Tsuzuki sat back as the music started up. Anna took in a breath and started to sing. 

_punctured bicycle_  
On a hillside desolate  
Will nature make a man of me yet?  
  
When in this charming car  
This charming man  
  
Why pamper life's complexity  
When the leather runs smooth  
On the passenger seat?  
  
I would go out tonight  
But I haven't got a stitch to wear  
This man said "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care"  
  
A jumped up pantry boy  
Who never knew his place  
He said "return the ring"  
He knows so much about these things  
He knows so much about these things  
  
I would go out tonight  
But I haven't got a stitch to wear  
This man said "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care"  
Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, this charming man ...  
Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, this charming man ...  
  
A jumped up pantry boy  
Who never knew his place  
He said "return the ring"  
He knows so much about these things  
He knows so much about these things  
He knows so much about these things >

Tsuzuki recognized the song. 

_Anna has this on her Ipod_ , he thought, _She told me this was the song that Henry played in his car on their first date!_ Now that he thought of it, Anna did look emotionally drawn into the song. Her heart seemed to ache as she sang every word. Anna came back to a warmer place when the song ended. 

“Whew!” she said. The woman looked at her score. 

“Five!” she exclaimed. Tsuzuki laughed as Anna playfully hit him on the arm. 

“Shut up!” she exclaimed. The shinigami kept laughing while Anna sat back and playfully pouted. 

Across the street, Becky and girls were having dinner. They were on day two of their break from searching for Anna. Despite this, Becky just couldn’t let it go. She looked forlorn out the window. The leader knew something didn’t sit well with this picture. Becky sighed with her breath fogging the glass. _If only there was some clue…_ , she thought. 

Suddenly, something caught her eye. Becky happened to look out the sushi restaurant window and see Anna across the street cuddling with Tsuzuki. She seemed to be in flirty mood with the shinigami and laughing. Becky had to blink many times. That was her missing friend, but who was that guy she was with? 

“Guys!” Becky yelled, “I think I see Anna!” The others girls looked up. 

“Where?” Amy asked. 

“Out there!” Becky yelled as she pointed out the window. The girls looked and saw nothing. 

“I don’t see her,” Gillian said. 

“Huh?” Becky asked as she looked out the window. Anna and Tsuzuki were gone. Becky blinked. 

“I saw her with some guy a minute ago!” she whimpered. Clare patted her on her shoulder. 

“You’re stressed, just relax and enjoy the day off,” she said. 

“But…” the leader said in a small voice. 

“Just relax,” Clare repeated. Becky sat back in silence. Clare and the girls went back to talking. The leader looked out the window and sighed. 

_I know I saw her!_ , she thought. Then, something else filed her mind. 

_Come to think of it_ , Becky thought, _That guy with Anna looked rather familiar…_ Her thoughts kept building up in head. 

As couple walked away to pick dinner and find hotel, Asmodeus timed his plan. He trailed them all the way through the whole date.


	17. Bad Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nice little filler in Tokyo. Emiko is acting really strangely in way that scares Hotaru ever so. Yuri BDSM for all.

_Chapter Seventeen: Bad Romance:_

Tokyo. 

Hotaru made it home for the night. Right away, something wasn’t at peace. The house was dark; Emiko always at least left one light on for her. The loli demon looked around. 

“Hello?” she asked, “Is anyone here?” 

“Only me,” a voice spoke in the darkness. Hotaru nearly leapt up and around. Emiko smirked as she sat on the couch waiting for her. 

“Welcome home,” she said. Her girlfriend breathed as she tried to keep herself calm enough to speak. 

“Where are Mike and Kazue?” she asked. 

“Out,” her girlfriend replied. 

“Out where?” the loli demon asked as she tilted her head. Emiko shrugged her shoulders in an innocent way. 

“Just out,” she simply replied. Hotaru raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Okay…” she replied rather confused, “Well… good night.” Hotaru bowed and started heading to her room. Emiko leapt from the sofa and blocked her girlfriend’s path. Hotaru blinked at her. 

“W-What are you doing?” she yelped. Emiko looked at her with hungry eyes. 

“Is that all I get, just a ‘good night?’” she asked in a matching tone. Hotaru nodded uneasily. 

“I guess…” she said in a small voice. Already, things were starting to look pretty grim. Emiko grinned at her and forced a kiss on the lips. Hotaru’s mind became confused as she tried to pull away, but Emiko held her close. Normally, the loli demon would be over the moon when Emiko was frisky like this. Something didn’t sit right with her tonight. She pushed her off. 

“Emiko!” the demon cried, “What the hell?!?” The butch demon licked her lips at her. 

“Your shock turns me on,” she hissed in a low, starved tone. She pinned Hotaru up against the wall and forced another kiss on the lips. Emiko pushed her tongue into her girlfriend’s mouth. She reeled back when Hotaru bit down. The loli demon backed away with big eyes. 

“What’s gotten into you?!?” she screamed. Emiko’s hunger shot up higher. 

“Uh-oh,” she said, “Hoto-chan’s been very naughty!” Her girlfriend shuddered as she began to back away. The baby talk made it creepier. Hotaru began to back away. 

“Aw, don’t run away!” Emiko cooed. Hotaru turned and fled down the hall. 

_Something’s not right!_ ; the loli demon thought, _Emiko-sama’s never really_ this _aggressive when I’m not in the mood!_ Hotaru planned to run into her room and lock the door. She made it to her own bedroom before being tackled to the floor by her girlfriend. Hotaru groaned in pain as she tried to get back up. Emiko smirked and shook her head as she pinned her girlfriend’s arms behind her back. 

“Naughty, naughty!” she told her, “Now I’ll have to punish you!” Hotaru glanced up at her. 

“Why?” she asked in a soft voice. Emiko leaned down to her ear. 

“Hm, what did you say?” she asked. 

“Why are you doing this to me?” her girlfriend whined. 

“Why am I doing this?” Emiko repeated as she sat back. 

“Yes!” the loli demon cried. Emiko leaned in closer. 

“I’ll tell you,” she purred in her ear, “You are my little angel. Watching you suffer turns me on in ways you can’t imagine!” She nibbled on Hotaru’s ear hard. The loli demon whimpered aloud. 

“Please mama, don’t hurt me!” she pleaded in a scream. The begging only turned her girlfriend on even more. Emiko stood up and dragged her hostage to their bedroom. She pushed Hotaru down to the floor. The loli demon whimpered as she struggled to get up, but the butch demon stomped on her back. Hotaru let her body go limb under her foot. Emiko smirked at her pain. 

“Very tasty!” the butch demon said aloud. She sat Hotaru on her lap on the floor. The butch demon ripped off her frilly black dress. Hotaru whimpered aloud in the process. Emiko licked along her nape. 

“Mmm,” she murmured. Her fingers trailed down along her back to Hotaru’s bra and took her time with each hook. Hotaru wanted to cry as Emiko nudged her in the back. 

“Shut up!” she barked. The loli demon tried to go quiet, but her whimpering didn’t stop. Emiko held her close as she finished stripping down her girlfriend. She licked along her back as the butch demon felt herself getting wet already. 

“So sexy!” she moaned. Emiko slid off Hotaru’s panties and threw them aside. She leaned into her squirming girlfriend’s ear. 

“Why did yo run from me?” the butch demon whispered. She nipped at Hotaru’s ear again. The loli demon began to cry. 

“I-I-I don’t know!” she whimpered. Emiko pinched at her nipples violently. Hotaru winced. 

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” she cried. 

“Don’t lie!” her girlfriend hissed aroused. Emiko pinched her nipples harder. 

“Ow! Stop, it hurt!” her girlfriend begged. Emiko smirked and licked her lips. 

“Hm, strange,” she spoke, “You stay stop, but you sound like you’re enjoying this!” Hotaru looked at her with big eyes. 

“Huh?” she asked in a weak voice. Emiko pinched her nipples again. 

“Tell the truth! Why did you run from me?!?” she shouted. The demon pinched harder and Hotaru just lost it. 

“You scared me, mama!” she screamed, “You’re never like this! Please stop! It hurts!” Emiko grinned wickedly as she held Hotaru by the rib cage. The loli demon looked at her. 

“You’re not done with me yet, are you?” she asked in a tiny voice. Her girlfriend gave her an evil glint in her eye. 

“No, I’m just warming up,” she said out loud. Hotaru swallowed hard as she trembled. 

“Oh boy…” she said in a soft voice. Her girlfriend dragged her to their bed and pinned her face down. Emiko gave her lover a date with Lady Cat o’ Nine Tails for the violent night.


	18. Sinner Within Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmodeus sets his plan into motion and torments Tsuzuki in an attempt to break him and Anna up.

_Chapter Eighteen: Sinner Within Me:_

Kyoto. 

Tsuzuki and Anna came to a hotel after dinner. The woman cuddled close to her boyfriend as he checked them in. Near the window in the lobby, Asmodeus watched them while reading his paper. He kept his eyes trained on Tsuzuki. He hadn’t gotten so close and dear to Anna’s heart in a short amount of time. He even deflowered her. It would hurt her if something happened to him. 

That’s where Asmodeus came in. To wither this relationship, he had to get into one of the lovers’ heads. Anna was fun to violate, but the handsome demon felt like torturing someone new, a shinigami, a man. Asmodeus loved making women suffer. Could this translate over into a man? The demon of corrupt charm shrugged. 

_Worth a shot_ , he thought. Tsuzuki and Anna headed to their room. Asmodeus got up and followed behind. 

He waited and watched them in the room. Anna and Tsuzuki made out and sailed all the way to naked cuddling in bed. When the fluff cooled down the night, Asmodeus walked over to their bed. The couple looked so peaceful asleep. This charming demon eyed a sleeping Tsuzuki. _This should be interesting_ , he thought. Asmodeus waved his hand over the shinigami. 

-Inside Tsuzuki’s Nightmare- 

_Tsuzuki walked into a dark room. “Anna-chan?” he asked, “Where are you Anna-chan?” An icy pit formed in his stomach. His mind raced to the worst._

Don’t tell me she’s… _, he thought in horror._

_“No, no!” someone spoke. Tsuzuki snapped his attention upwards. Asmodeus sat before him in a big red fancy armchair. The heavy black coat seemed to swallow his pale body in one gulp. He held a bottle of sake in his hand. Tsuzuki’s brain went into attack mode._

_“You!” he shouted. Who the hell are you?!? Where’s Anna-chan?!? What did you do with her?!?” Asmodeus smirked at him._

_“Nothing,” he replied in calm voice, “She’s perfectly fine. I came to see you.” The shinigami looked rather confused when he heard this._

_“Huh?” he asked. The demon in black leaned in with his chin resting on his fingers like Ikari Gendo from Evangelion._

_“You ruined something valuable to me,” he simply put._

_“What are…”Tsuzuki began to ask. It donned on the shinigami what this creeper was talking about. “Anna-chan is not your personal property!” he shouted._

_“Her life and her body will be mine,” Asmodeus declared. Tsuzuki’s anger flared up as he drew out a fuda for attack. “You…” he hissed. Asmodeus held up his hand._

_“I just want to talk,” he said in a collected tone. Tsuzuki kept up his guard. The charming sociopath set his bottle down on the ground._

_“Like I said before, you ruined something highly valuable to me,” he began again. He paused to take in more. Tsuzuki glared at him._

_“What do you want with Anna?!?” the shinigami barked._

_“I have eaten and killed angels for many years,” Asmodeus began in his explanation, “They bore me now. I really want some new meat.” He chuckled a bit to himself. “That silly girl saw something she wasn’t supposed to,” the demon told him, “Poor soul witnessed me with one of my ‘meals.’ Heh, I could’ve eaten her right then and there, a nice desert with dinner, but do you know what made me spare her?”_

_“No!” Tsuzuki hissed. Asmodeus smirked at him._

_“Her kitsune,” he answered in the simplest way possible. The shinigami gritted his teeth._

_“What did you say?!?” he barked as he took a step closer._

_“Her kitsune was fully awake at the time,” the demon explained, “If I was going to ravish such a terrified tsukai; I want her to be the strongest as the kitsune herself.” He closed his eyes and felt as if he was reliving that night in 2004. “Mmm, her fear was so tantalizing,” he purred, “Makes me want to rip into her sweet flesh even more!”_

_“You monster!” Tsuzuki shouted as he held up his fuda again. Asmodeus snickered at him. The shinigami glared at the twisted gentleman._

_“What the hell is so damn funny?!?” he yelled. The demon looked at him with a smirk._

_“So ironic, isn’t it?” he asked as he began to go in for the poisonous strike. Tsuzuki prepared himself to lunge forward._

_“What did you say?!?” he growled at the demon. Asmodeus put up his hands ever so nonchalantly._

_“Let’s face it,” he pointed out, “You yourself have blood on your hands, am I right?” Tsuzuki tried to hold down his hurt and anger. Asmodeus could see him starting to crack._

_“All to those lambs lost their lives to you,” he said in a low voice, “You’re a murderer, Tsuzuki-san.”_

_“No! That’s not true! I… I…” the other man cried with his heart racing against his chest. The vile gentleman gave him a look of fake sympathy._

_“Such a shame,” he carried on, “I would hate to see Anna dies by your hands like so many others, including Ruka.”_

_“That’s not true!” the other man wailed, “It wasn’t my fault! It wasn’t my fault! I… I…”_

_“YOU ARE A MONSTER!” all of the voices in his head yelled. Tsuzuki sank down to his knees, trembling and holding himself in a survival hug._


	19. Sleep Apnea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nice and short chapter about the effects of Asmodeus' influence on Tsuzuki. Yet, Anna vows to fight back.

_Chapter Nineteen: Sleep Apnea:_

Anna awoke the next morning alone in bed. She looked around her in the morning darkness. 

“Asato-kun?” the woman whispered, “Asato-kun?” Anna heard someone a murmur of discomfort in the dark. Her eyes turned to her boyfriend in the back corner. Tsuzuki was naked and huddled up trembling. His beloved sat up in bed. 

“Asato-kun, what’s wrong?” she asked. He didn’t even look up to acknowledge her when she addressed him. Anna felt her stomach turn as she didn’t enjoy when this could be headed. She got out of bed and walked over to him. The woman reached out to touch him. 

“Baby?” she asked as her fingertips reached his hair. 

“Don’t touch me!” Tsuzuki cried. Anna stood rather startled by his outburst. 

“Asato-kun?” she asked. He looked up at her so pale. The shinigami had been crying all night. All that he had left were dry sobs. Anna felt a tear in her heart. 

“Asato-kun,” she said in a soft voice. Tsuzuki dug his nails into his knees. He let off a choked-up sob. 

“I… I… I am a monster!” he shouted. Anna shook her head not understanding what he was going on about. 

“What are you talking about?” she asked. Tsuzuki only shook his head feeling like he was going to throw up. Anna stood in worried as she tried to piece together what had happened. She leaned in close to his face. 

“Asato-kun, what happened?” she asked, “Did you have a bad dream or something?” He still didn’t speak. He even averted his eyes away from hers. Anna worked through her theory. 

“Was it about me?” she asked in a whisper. Tsuzuki froze in his black hole. 

“I don’t want you to die again,” he muttered. His beloved sat down next to him on the floor. She lightly stroked him on the cheek. 

“Is that what this is all about, hm?” his girlfriend asked. Tsuzuki shook his head as he pulled his knees tighter to his chest. The tear in Anna’s heart deepened; she didn’t seem to know what to do in a time like this. She took her lover into her arms. 

“Listen, I will give it my all not to die again,” she promised in his ear. Tsuzuki glanced up at her with the eyes of a needy child. 

“But what about from me?” he asked in a trembling voice, “I killed people. I let Ruka die! It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault!” 

“Shhh,” Anna whispered as she held him close to her chest, “Shhh, it’ll be okay. We will be okay. We will be okay.” Tsuzuki said nothing as he let warmth of her bare skin numb everything inside of him. He rested his cheek against her breasts and closed his eyes. Through Anna’s torn heart, the old flame called rage began to heat up in her eyes. She had a clue as to who did this to her boyfriend. The woman held Tsuzuki closer as the fire flared up in her eyes. 

_Asmodeus! You have no right to harm my Asato-kun!_ , she thought, _You won’t tear up apart! I will fight you to keep us together!_ ” Anna cradled Tsuzuki in her arms as a guarantee.


	20. Cataplexy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna goes out for the day and begins to regret it when she sees a face from her past begging her for help.

_Chapter Twenty: Cataplexy:_

_November 10th, 1999_. 

San Diego, California. The school official walked Anna to the guidance council’s office. The girl looked down at her feet. Her hands appeared so pale as she kept stroking on her knuckles. The girl arrived here in the US nine days ago. Anna didn’t know any English or anybody. The shock of Daisuke’s death prevented her from functioning normally, let alone adjusting in a foreign country. Worried for her sake, her teachers suggested that she seek counseling. That’s why she was here. The official turned to the girl and noticed not once did she look up at her. She tried to touch her, but Anna flinched her away. The woman tried to appear nice. 

“It’s okay, dear,” she said, “This man is a professional; he can help you.” Her Japanese sounded so rusty. She probably said something other than what she meant to. Anna didn’t respond either way. Her eyes were fixed on her feet. The school official breathed out in awkward silence. 

“Okay…” she mumbled to herself before turning to the door and knocking on the firm wood. 

“Enter,” a man said inside. The official opened the door and peeked around inside. Dr. Yamashita sat at his desk reading over his charts. He glanced up at the woman and the sophomore in the doorway watching him. The staff member walked forward. 

“Sir,” she said, “Here is the patient I was talking about.” The doctor returned to his charts in his hand. 

“Leave us,” he said. The official blinked. 

“But sir…” she began to say. Dr. Yamashita looked up at her with a cold look in his eye. 

“Get out,” he repeated in a stern tone. The official stared at him dumbfounded. 

“Why sir?” she asked, still not seeing what was going on. 

“I want to speak to Kimoto-chan alone,” he said in a strict tone. The school official closed her mouth and bowed her head. 

“Yes sir,” she said in a small voice before she turned to leave. The woman leaned down to Anna just as she was about to walk out the door. 

“This man will help you,” she whispered in her ear in her best Japanese, “Listen to what he has to say.” Anna didn’t respond as the official left the room. Dr. Yamashita turned his attention to the girl. She started at him pale in the face. The doctor smiled at her. 

“Take a seat,” he said. Anna complied without a word. 

_August 11th, 2009._

Anna felt sheepish for sitting in the Kyoto Psychology Center waiting room this morning. Tsuzuki needed her, somebody, anybody right now. She should be with him, but, to help him she needed to help herself first. 

“Is it okay if I visit the KPC again?” she whispered to him on the floor. Tsuzuki sat beside of her staring at the floor in a daze. Anna caressed him on the cheek and kissed it. Her lips touched his ear. 

“I will go to the shrink, pick us up something to eat, and come back. How does that sound?” The man didn’t respond to her question. Anna nuzzled the shinigami’s neck. 

“I’ll even give you my number if you want to call me, okay?” she whispered. Anna gently let go of Tsuzuki and walked over to the desk. She reached inside of his coat and pulled out his phone. 

“You have the Kimoto Manor number already,” she told him in a soft voice, “I’m giving you my cell number.” Anna programmed her number into the phone. She even placed it in for speed dialing. The woman handed the phone to her lover. 

“Here,” Anna as she placed the phone at his feet. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed, okay?” Tsuzuki didn’t even stir. Anna kissed him on the forehead and went into the bathroom. In close to an hour, she came back out. Tsuzuki still sat on the floor looking down. Anna knelt down and kissed him on the forehead. 

“I will be right back, I promise,” she murmured at his skin. The woman stood up and left the room. 

That idea wasn’t so good anymore, but what could she do? The woman was already out here, might as well make the most of it. She looked around the room. There weren’t many people here this morning. Anna looked at her phone rather nervous. No missed calls or texts just yet. The woman looked up at the ceiling with her cheeks puffed up. 

_Hope he’s alright_ , she thought. 

“Anna?” a voice asked in. The woman didn’t move at first. 

“Anna,” the voice said again. The woman glanced up in front of her to find an old man looking at her close in the face. Anna blinked hard at first. 

“Dr. Yamashita?” she whispered, “Dr. Yamashita? What are you doing here?” The older man quickly covered her mouth and looked around. 

“Shhh!” he said back, “Not here!” 

“Where?” Anna asked under his hand. The therapist glanced around for a quick second. He spotted the back door. 

“Come with me,” he said a quick hushed tone. Before Anna could speak, the older man grabbed her by the hand and dragged her outside. 

“Slow down!” Anna cried. Dr. Yamashita didn’t listen while he kept on running. Once outside, the old man let go of her arm. Anna went into integration mode. 

“Okay, are you really Yamashita? How did you find me and why?” she asked. The man’s eyes became grim. 

“Yes, I am Dr. Yamashita,” he said, “Yesterday one of my colleagues described a patient matching your description in a case. I thought, that couldn’t be, you died four months ago. So, I had to see for myself. And here you are, alive and well!” Anna blinked as she tilted her head at him. 

“Okay…” she said, “I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but why do you need to see me?” Dr. Yamashita lowered his head in shame. 

“I need your help,” he mumbled, “I might have caused someone’s death…”


	21. Nobu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Yamashita tells Anna about his problem. Meanwhile, her third uncle finds her and tries to kill her.

_Chapter Twenty-One: Nobu:_

In the Kyoto Psychology Center’s waiting room a man in his fifties saw Anna with Dr. Yamashita. He quietly left the room out the back entrance. His brothers had to hear this. 

Yasuo and Shichiro were having lunch on the Kyoto University Campus across the street when the man came over to their table. He stopped in front of them breathless. Shichiro looked him up and down. 

“Nobu,” he addressed. 

“Hey!” the youngest brother said. 

“What brings you by?” Yasuo asked. 

“I found her!” the youngest man exclaimed. 

“Who?” Shichiro asked rather puzzled. 

“I found her! I found her! I found her! I found her! I found her!” Nobu shouted over and over. 

“Found who?” Yasuo demanded. Nobu stood up straight and cleared his throat. 

“I have found Anna,” he said in a calm voice. The other two stared at him in stunned silence. Yasuo raised an eyebrow at him. 

“You sure?” he asked. Nobu made a face at him. 

“Of course!” he yelped, “I could sense our Mother Kitsune inside of her!” Shichiro nodded as if in thought. 

“So it is true,” he said, “The kitsune is trying to escape Dai’s shield.” Yasuo clapped his hands together. 

“I’m going to go kill her now!” he declared with excitement in his voice. Shichiro shot a look at him. 

“Why do you always get the best kills?” he complained. 

“Mama depends on me the most and I’m the oldest!” the oldest son bragged. His brothers rolled their eyes. 

“What?” Yasuo barked. 

“My kitsune needs the work!” Shichiro shot back. 

“Do you _need_ the work or does your wife _say_ you need it?” the older brother challenged. 

“Leave Amaya-chan out of this!” his brother yelled. Yasuo only shrugged at him. 

“Just saying,” he brushed off. 

“Don’t!” the younger brother snapped. Nobu cleared his throat and the other two looked up at the younger man. He stood up straighter with his suggestion in his head. 

“Let me try and kill her,” he offered. The brothers tried to not to laugh. 

“You?” Yasuo asked. Nobu nodded at him. 

“Yes,” he said without a thought. 

“But you’re too gentle!” Shichiro argued. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the young brother asked with an eyebrow raised. Yasuo set down his tea on the table. 

“You’re too soft,” he pointed out, “Anna deserves a violent death for this time.” 

“Plus, you couldn’t kill a baby if your soul depended on it,” Shichiro added. Nobu fought to keep down his anger. He clenched his fists by his sides. 

“I can too!” he argued back. 

“Prove it!” Yasuo challenged. Nobu looked around rather puzzled with how to respond. The man bit his lower lip. 

“Now?” he asked in a tiny voice. 

“Yeah,” his oldest brother answered, “Go out and kill the lamb now.” 

“Now?” Nobu repeated, blinking. 

“Yeah now,” both brothers pushed. Nobu fidgeted as he wished he hadn’t said anything. He nodded as he realized that he couldn’t take it back. 

“Okay!” he shouted aloud. The old man hurried off as his older brothers watched. 

“He can’t do it,” Yasuo said. 

“No,” Shichiro agreed. 

Meanwhile, Anna walked into the city to pick up lunch with a head full everything that she had just learned. Dr. Yamashita dumped so much on her. 

“What?” Anna asked, blinking at him. Dr. Yamashita swallowed before he spoke. 

“It’s kind of hard to explain…” he mumbled as he shifted his eyes away from her. 

“Tell me what happened,” his former patient inquired, “How did you cause their death?” Her former psychiatrist took in a deep breath. 

“Six weeks ago, a disturbed young woman came to see me,” he began, “She was notorious at KU for drug use, suicide attempts, drinking, and sleeping around. She came for my help and I did so.” The old man shuffled his feet as he spoke. "However, her therapy wasn’t going anywhere. Last week, I terminated our sessions,” he said, “This morning; they found her three weeks pregnant and dead in her dorm bathtub.” Anna blinked at him, not seeing where this was going. 

“She committed suicide,” she reasoned, “That’s not your fault.” 

“Not with the Eda-Kimoto clan’s burns on her wrists!” he whispered aloud. Anna’s eyes shot wide in alarm at those words. 

“What did you say?!?” she asked. Dr. Yamashita looked down at his feet. 

“Now, everyone at the center and university thinks I sent her to be killed because I terminated her sessions,” he said rather sheepishly worried. His former patient looked at him confused. 

“So what do you want me to do?” she asked likewise with her facial expression. The doctor grabbed her shoulders. 

“Help me, Anna!” he pleaded, “I’m innocent! You know that! Everyone thinks I am supporting your family, but I hate them as much as everyone in this country! Can’t you help me?” 

Anna stood there in silence. 

Now, she had an overloaded plate: Tsuzuki was depressed, Dr. Yamashita was in trouble, her family wanted to kill her again, and plus her time was running out. “Bad day” was an understatement in this case. She bumped into someone rushing by her. Anna paused and bowed quickly. 

“Oh, I am so sorry,” she said, “Are you hurt?” The person turned around. 

“No, I’m good,” he said. Nobu looked up and saw his niece. His whole face went aglow as he held out her arms to her. 

“Anna-chan, it’s you!” he said aloud. The woman shook her head and backed away. 

“No,” she said, “You must have me confused with someone else!” Nobu didn’t listen. 

“My niece!” he cried, “It’s really you!” Anna looked around for an escape. Instinct told her to run away right now. She shook her head as she started to back away. 

“Uh… I have to go now…” the woman blurted out. She tried to flee from him as quickly as she could. Nobu lunged forward and reached out for her. 

“But my niece, it’s me, Nobu!” the old man cried. He grabbed her by the arm and held on tight. Anna tried to fight back, but her body went limp and numb. Nobu slowly let go as his spell was his favorite. So quick and painless, Anna would be dead in seconds. Nobu stood there and waited. 

_Any time now!_ , he thought. 

_Anna opened her eyes and looked around at the endless dark indigo black._

_“This again?” she asked in the empty space surrounding her. A feather-like wave began to sweep her away. She tried to go back to where she originally was standing. (If she_ was _standing that is.) The harder she struggled, the heavier the pressure became. Yet, she didn’t stop or cave under._

_“I don’t have time for this crap!” she screamed, “Asato-kun needs me! I have to get out of here!” Anna began to feel a white hot light on her back. It didn’t take her long to have a vague notion of what was happening to her._

That bastard did something to trap me here _, she thought. Anna gritted her teeth._

_“You will not trap me in here!” she screamed. “I’ll fight my way out even if it kills me!” The woman upped her own struggling against her uncle’s spell. “I can’t die yet! Asato-kun, papa, Aunt Yumiko, and Aunt Kirika need me!” she shouted. The woman kept fighting the death that was coming to swallow her up._

Nobu was about to strangle his niece when something caught his eye. 

“Huh?” he asked rather startled. Anna quickly came to and shoved him off. She didn’t even stick around long enough to see the results as she took off running and didn’t stop until she made it back to the hotel.


	22. Wet Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna makes it back to the room and Tsuzuki seeks "comfort" from her. Surreal lemon for everyone.

_Chapter Twenty-Two: Wet Dreams:_

“I’m back, just like I promised,” Anna said when made it back to the room, “It didn’t go as planned, though. I had a couple of hold-ups. Probably shouldn’t have left, right?” All that greeted her was the silent darkness in the room. Anna’s stomach turned as she looked around. 

“Asato-kun?” she asked. “Are you still here? Hello?” She slowly walked inside as her eyes shifted around her. Her mind tried to force out the worst. 

_Maybe he’s just asleep_ , the woman tried to tell herself. She walked over to the bed and peeked downwards. 

“Asato-kun,” she whispered. “Are you asleep?” Suddenly, the woman spotted something in the corner near the bed. A pair of violet eyes stared back at her in melancholy. Anna began to relax when she figured out who it was. 

“Oh there you are,” she said, “You had me worried for a second.” Tsuzuki said nothing as his eyes stayed on her. Anna’s face dropped back into worry. 

“Asato-kun?” she asked again, “Are you okay?” She didn’t get a verbal answer. Instead, Tsuzuki rushed forward and grabbed her by the waist. He forced a desperate kiss on her lips. Anna became rather bewildered. 

_What is he doing?_ , she thought. Instinct told her not to stop him. _He needs this right now_ , she told her herself in his arms. Tsuzuki didn’t stop kissing her as he lifted her by the waist and placed her onto the bed. It didn’t take long for Anna to figure out what was going on. She lied back on the bed as she let him take her. Tsuzuki grabbed at her sleeveless frilly green top when Anna gently arrested his wrists. Tsuzuki looked at her with heavy clouded eyes. The fear of rejection from her made his heart sink. She gave him a sympathetic smile as she shook her head. 

“I just know what you want,” she whispered, “I will be here for you always. Take everything you want from me to feel better.” Tsuzuki stared like a needy little child. Anna softly let go of his wrists. Tsuzuki grabbed onto her shirt and inched it upwards and off. His beloved lifted her arms to aid him. Tsuzuki untied the hotel’s robe he wore and slid it off. Anna’s cheeks turned bright red when she saw that he wasn’t wearing anything underneath. The shinigami pressed another kiss on her lips. This time, Anna accepted his kiss and returned the favor. Her lover’s hands strayed down to her waist. He unzipped her black shorts and slid them off. 

Anna held him tight her body as Tsuzuki slipped tongue into her waiting mouth. The woman reciprocated with care. His fingers found her lacy white bra and unclasped each of the tiny hooks. Anna whimpered in his mouth as he slowly slid the silky lace off. His hands moved along her curves to her hips and grabbed onto her cotton orange and yellow panties. Tsuzuki glanced up as if to get permission. 

“It’s okay, I’m here for you,” Anna’s eyes seemed tell him without any judgments. The shinigami slid down her panties and pushed her pale thighs apart. 

_A sinner roamed the streets in a drunken haze in the stormy tonight. His years of pain and sorrow burned him out. He had done horrible things in his life and could never wash the blood off of his hands. Alcohol was the only way to cure his pain, but it just made it worse. Everyone hated him; they mocked and abused the man. They saw him as a monster because of his deep violet eyes and his ability to heal quickly. No one welcomed him with open arms. He believed that he would die alone in his misery._

_On this night however, unfamiliar warmth drew him inside. The man spotted a light up in the distance. He ended up walking towards it as if in a trance. The singing sounded far off, as if in another world that only he could hear. The man walked as if he was going home._

_He came to this gold and white temple in the middle of nowhere. The sinner stared at it through his drunken haze. The pristine temple invited him inside with all of its beauty and purity. At first, the man stood outside uncertain. He thought his own filth would ruin such beauty. If he were to step inside, such beauty would be contaminated with his own sins and misery. Yet, this temple seemed so warm, so loving, so forgiving…_

_Pretty soon, the man was inside the temple. He came to his senses and looked around him. The statues were gold and carved out of Amaterasu, Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, Izanami-no-Mikoto, and images of many other goddesses as they stood off to the left watching him. The sinner felt his heart pounding against his chest. He leaned in and kissed Konohanasakuya-hime on the lips. The gold felt cold that it sent a chill down his spine. However, he could feel a pulse within the statue’s lips when he touched them. The sinner gently pulled away and stroked the statue’s cheek. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes._

_“My goddess,” he murmured in a raspy voice, “Make me pure. Make me pure!” The sinner knelt down to her the other statues in his tears. “I am a murderer! I have killed many people. I… I… I am a monster!” His tears flooded his cheeks. He could feel a gentle hand caressing his head. The sinner huddled up into a ball in his tears._

_“Fix me! My goddess, hear me! Fix me! Make me pure!” he pleaded over and over again. His tears touched the rice white floor. A pair of hazel green eyes watched him moved by his pleas as he cried himself to sleep before them._

Anna let Tsuzuki sleep in her arms as she stroked his hair.


	23. Somniphobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna comes to the realization that she cannot fight Asmodues alone after she see him attacking the angel again in her head.

_Chapter Twenty-Three: Somniphobia:_

Anna let her slender fingers ran through Tsuzuki’s short brown hair as he slept on her chest. The woman lightly kissed him on the forehead. 

“That was all you wanted,” she whispered, “You only wanted to feel something.” She kissed him again. “I won’t leave you,” Anna whispered, “You have my word.” Her eyes trailed up to the blackened ceiling. A new rage flared up inside of her as she held her sleeping lover in her arms. 

_Asmodeus!_ , she thought, _How dare you drag Asato-kun into this! Your target is me!_ She began to tremble at that thought. Asmodeus tracked her down again. Only he could break her into fear. That monster really wanted for virginity. Now, that bastard was punishing Tsuzuki for taking it from him; punishing him for loving her. Anna held Tsuzuki closer to her body. Her lover had played the martyr long enough. He deserved to be happy. His beloved’s anger tightened up as her nails dug through his hair. 

_You have no right to hurt my Asato-kun!_ , she thought. Her heartbeat doubled as her body grew hot. She really wanted to kill that monster. However, Anna found her mind trapped between anger and fear. She wanted to make Asmodeus suffer, but he paralyzed her spine with fear. She had the will to fight, just not the ability. How could she even _hope_ to win? 

Her throat dried up as Anna shut her eyes. She could smell the blood again while the white feathers floated downwards in the darkness. These feathers sailed into pools of more blood. Anna saw the angel’s body up ahead. Asmodeus made the unfortunate soul his dinner, raped and eaten, no less. His teeth ripped through her flesh and licked up her blood from his lips. Anna could still hear her pleading for her life. Asmodeus enjoyed making her suffer. Anna could almost feel the bites herself. She even found herself looking at the predator through the victim’s eyes. Both tried to scream for help, but their voices only came out as a whisper. 

Asmodeus enjoyed every second of their pain. He pumped in and out even more because of it. The angel’s eyes widened at the climax. He wasn’t done there; that bastard was still hungry. The angel couldn’t live to tell God about the attack. 

His eyes wandered down to her pearl white throat. He could hear her barely breathing. The sound pushed him for more. His pupils dilated as he sank into the trance. Asmodeus sank down and bit his victim in her pretty pristine throat. With one violent rip, he finished his dinner. The blood flooded everywhere like split crimson wine. It didn’t faze him when some of it got on his face. He only licked it away as he looked down at the angel’s naked corpse lying there bloodied and chewed up. Her open eyes looked empty and soulless. Even in that state, her cries for help fell on deaf ears. 

Anna forced her eyes open while patting in a cold sweat. The old sick feeling in her stomach returned for remembering that scene just now. She frantically felt along her throat. Small relief sank in when she felt warm skin. Her eyes fixated on the blackened ceiling again to calm her nerves. It was then that she began to realize. 

“I can’t fight him alone!” she whispered to herself. The woman and her lover needed help to fight back in this unholy war.


	24. Detoxification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna begins to try and heal Tsuzuki. Another surreal lemon for everybody.

_Chapter Twenty-Four: Detoxification:_

August 12th, 2009. 

At seven in the morning, Anna picked up Tsuzuki’s cell phone and called for back-up. She pressed her lips together as the phone rang. _Come on, pick up!_ , she thought as she paced around on in front of the big balcony window. 

“Hello?” a boy’s voice asked. Anna took a breath as she paused. 

“Hisoka?” she asked. 

“Anna? Where’s Tsuzuki?” Hisoka asked. 

“Still in bed,” she answered uneasily. 

“Figures!” the younger shinigami mumbled. Anna shook her head on her end of the line. 

“No, this is a problem,” she replied. 

“What do you mean?” he asked when he noticed her tone. Anna drew in a deep breath as she prepared to explain the situation in the best way that she could. 

“It’s kind of hard to sum up right away,” she began rather uneasily. 

“Okay…” he replied. She took in another breath to pace herself. 

“Two things,” the woman opened with, “Please look up any recent deaths at Kyoto University.” 

“Why?” the younger shinigami asked. 

“A man named Dr. Yamashita has been dragged into this mess my family created,” Anna explained, “He came to me personally.” 

“Okay… we’ll do that,” Hisoka said, “What’s the other thing?” Anna paused and shut her eyes for a moment. 

“It’s Asato,” she admitted. 

“What about him?” the boy asked on the phone. 

“He’s fallen depressed,” the woman said in a low voice over the phone. 

“What did you say?” Hisoka asked in alarm. 

“I think it’s my fault…” Anna mumbled in hopes that he wouldn’t really catch that. 

“How?” the boy demanded. Anna lowered her head. 

“That’s hard to explain,” she repeated. 

“What do you mean?” the boy pressed. Anna shook her head. 

“We won’t be getting back straight away,” she told him. 

“What do you mean? Why?” Hisoka asked. 

“Just look up the Kyoto University deaths and wait for us,” the woman told him as fast as he could. 

“What for?” Hisoka asked, “Anna? Anna?” She said no more as the woman hung up the phone and held it to her chest. That part was done. Anna turned back to the bed. Tsuzuki was still sound asleep. Anna gathered herself up for the detoxification. 

The woman walked over to the bed and sat on it. Tsuzuki looked to be suffering in his dreams as well. The tear in her heart deepened; it hurt to watch him in agony. Anna reached out and wiped away his tears. 

_Asato-kun…_ , she thought. 

Hours later, the shinigami slowly opened his eyes. Anna sat before him waiting. 

“Good morning,” she whispered, “How are you?” Tsuzuki slowly sat up as he blinked in surprise. 

“You’re here!” he gasped. Anna nodded somberly. 

“Yes. I am here,” she said in a matching tone. 

“You really are here,” he whispered. 

“Yes,” she repeated. 

“But why?” the shinigami asked, shaking his head. She leaned in close to his face. 

“I’m not going to leave you,” his girlfriend declared. Tsuzuki stared at her. 

“I could kill you,” he murmured. Anna shook her head. 

“I can risk that. I’m not going to abandon you,” she said strongly. Tsuzuki blinked. 

“You promise?” he asked so childlike. Anna clenched her fists at her sides. 

“Yes. You have my word,” she said. Tsuzuki embraced her on an impulse and forced another kiss on the lips. Anna didn’t put up any resistance. She let him take her. 

Tsuzuki gently pushed her back onto the bed. He gently worked his tongue into her mouth as his hands met her warm bare breasts. Anna moaned in his mouth as she arched her back at him. The shinigami gently kissed and nibbled on her neck. Anna tightly shut her eyes and whimpered. 

“Oh yes,” she murmured, “Take all that you want.” Tsuzuki affectionately nibbled on her neck. Anna drew in another breath as she felt his teeth graze her soft skin. He moved from her neck to her collarbone. His beloved laced her finger through his short brown hair. The shinigami’s tongue moved to her breasts. The taste unconsciously stirred him awake down below. His body wanted this, but his mind was fogged over guilty pain. Anna knew he wasn’t in his right frame of mind, but she didn’t stop him. To do that would be to turn him away. 

“Yes!” she moaned, “More!” Tsuzuki lightly licked around her breasts before moving to her abdomen. His hands wrapped around her small waist like a needy child. Anna parted her legs for him in response. Tsuzuki slid part up to her lips for another kiss on the mouth. 

_The sinner awoke on the rice white temple floor and looked around._ Where is this place? _, the man thought. White candles were lit on a white cinnamon-scented altar. The walls were painted with different myths while a rich red tapestry covered the back way. The sinner slowly sat up on the floor._

Is this… _he thought,_ Am I… in a temple? _The sinner looked in front of him and saw the golden statues of the goddesses on a porcelain white altar. He wasn’t dreaming; he was in this temple last night._

_A scent of cherry blossoms filled his nose as ghost-like fingers touched his hair. He glanced upwards to see Konohanasakuya-Hime patting him like he was her son. The sinner blinked at her to see if he was dreaming. She stood over him with a smile._

_My goddess…” he mumbled. She gently put her finger to his lips. The sinner knelt down at her feet._

_“I am not worthy!” he murmured, “I am a sinner! My hands are covered in blood. I am a murderer! I am a monster!” The goddess gently shushed him. He looked at her with big eyes._

_“Konohana-sama!” the sinner murmured. She lightly pulled him to his feet._

_“My goddess,” he whispered. Konohanasakuya-Hime pulled his face close to hers._

_“You are forgiven,” she whispered. The goddess kissed him on the lips. The sinner closed his eyes and kissed her back. Konohanasakuya-Hime reached forward and slowly stripped the man of his ruined and soaked suit. The sinner found his body trembling in an unfamiliar heat. He felt lighter with each article of clothing being stripped away from him._

This feels so good… _he thought. He felt himself stirring awake between his legs. Red embarrassment flushed over his face. Was it so wrong to feel this way about a goddess? Once she stripped him naked, Konohanasakuya-Hime took the sinner over to the tapestry and pushed it aside. A long, room-sized pool waited for him on the other side. The goddess kissed the sinner on the lips and he didn’t resist her. She planted a drop of trust inside of him. He fell in love with her as a result._

_Konohanasakuya-Hime gently pushed the sinner into the water below them. The man let his body sink into the surrendering warmth inch by inch until his head sank under. She held him under and murmured a chant to cleanse him. When the last of the air bubbles rose to the surface, the cherry blossom goddess removed her hand. She drew the sinner out of the water leaned into his ear._

_“You are reborn,” she whispered. Konohanasakuya-Hime kissed him on the lips again. The sinner weakly kissed her back before collapsing into her arms._

Tsuzuki slept next to Anna peacefully. His beloved stroked his hair as the detoxification started successfully.


	25. Hypopnea Syndrome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an attempt to help with the cause, Anna takes Tsuzuki out to dinner.

_Chapter Twenty-Five: Hypopnea Syndrome:_

By sundown, both lovers were dressed and out of bed. They sat on the floor near the bathroom. Detoxification worked, but Anna knew they weren’t finished yet. Recovery doesn’t take place in one day. The woman looked around her. _We need to get out tonight_ , she thought. Anna looked down at Tsuzuki. 

“Asato-kun,” she said, “Let’s go out to dinner.” Tsuzuki glanced up at her. 

“Why?” the look in his eyes asked. Anna stroked his hair. 

“We need to get out of here,” she whispered. “We don’t even have to go far.” Tsuzuki looked out. Anna’s hand stopped stroking his hair. 

“Okay then,” she said. Anna took Tsuzuki to a soba-ya just three blocks away from the hotel. The woman watched him as they ate in silence. Tsuzuki seemed miles away. Anna debated on saying something. 

“Good, huh?” she asked. Tsuzuki glanced at her. 

“Hm?” he asked. Anna shook her head. 

“Nothing,” she mumbled. Tsuzuki took another bite of his soba. Anna smiled a bit. 

“It’s good to hear your voice,” she said. Tsuzuki looked at his girlfriend. Her short black dress confined her hourglass figure. He gave her wardrobe choice an odd look. 

“Anna-chan,” the shinigami spoke up. His woman looked at him with chopsticks in her hand. 

“Yes?” she asked. 

“Why are you all dressed up?” he asked. Anna looked down at her dress. It did look rather fancy at the moment. 

“Oh,” she said, “No reason.” She looked up at her date. 

“More wine?” Anna offered. 

“Sure,” Tsuzuki replied. She poured him another glass of red wine. He took a slip. 

“How many glasses have you had?” Anna asked. 

“Two. Why?” Tsuzuki said. His date shrugged her shoulders. 

“Just a question,” she said in a low voice. Her date took another sip. Anna finished up her soba. She sat her chopsticks down on the table. 

“Are you any better, Asato-kun?” she asked. Tsuzuki paused and looked at her. 

“Sorry?” he asked. 

“It hurts seeing you all depressed like that,” his girlfriend carefully explained. The shinigami gave her a little smile. 

“I’m fine now, really,” he tried to convince her. Anna shook her head at him. 

“No, you’re not,” she told him, “Tell me honestly. I can see it in tour eyes.” Her boyfriend went quiet as her hazel-green eyes stayed on him. Tsuzuki slowly lowered his chopsticks and eyes. 

“Well…” he said quietly. Anna lifted his face towards hers. She gave him a gentle smile. 

“It’s okay to let out your pain,” she whispered, “I will be here for you.” Tsuzuki’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but Anna shook her head. 

“Don’t talk, just tell me those four words,” she told him. 

“Anna…” he murmured. 

“No, just say our four words,” his girlfriend said. Tsuzuki went quiet. His violet eyes locked with her olive ones. He looked down at her scarred wrist as his lips trembled. 

“We will be okay,” he finally said. 

“Yes,” Anna said, “We will be okay.” Tsuzuki looked uncertain at their words. Anna gently kissed him on the lips. For the first time in two days, Tsuzuki felt a little warmth inside of him. Anna gently pulled away. 

“We will be okay,” she said again. 

“Are you sure about that?” he asked. Anna shut her eyes. 

“Yes,” she murmured. Tsuzuki closed his mouth. They said no more during the rest of dinner. Anna picked up the tab and they headed back to the hotel.


	26. Sexsomina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuzuki and Anna make it back to the room. Anna's information on Dr. Yamashita's plea is confirmed. But first, Anna countiunes to try and fix Tsuzuki from Asmodeus' poison. Little bit of surrealism in this chapter.

_Chapter Twenty-Six: Sexsomina:_

Tsuzuki sat on the bed in a daze in their darkened hotel room as Anna gently rubbed on his shoulders. 

“I’m still here for you,” she whispered. Tsuzuki didn’t respond. The woman lightly kissed him on the cheek. Anna got off the bed and walked outside to the balcony. She opened Tsuzuki’s phone and made another call. Anna tapped her foot as she waited. 

“Hello?” an Osakan accent asked. Anna sprung to life. 

“Watari-san?” she asked. 

“Anna-san?” he asked, “How’s Tsuzuki?” 

“He’s recovering,” she replied, “Found anything yet?” 

“We found one case,” the scientist shinigami answered. 

“Okay, what is it?” Anna whispered. 

“Her name was Nakata Rieko,” he answered. The woman took in the beginning of this new information. 

“What about her?” she asked. 

“She isn’t exactly an angel,” Watari began, “Nakata-san was a drug addict with a drinking problem. She was also promiscuous and suicidal.” Anna nodded. _Just as Dr. Yamashita said_ , she thought. 

“How did she die?” the woman asked. 

“It’s hard to say, really…” Watari mumbled with a puzzled tone in his voice. 

“And her wrists?” Anna pressed for answers. 

“Definitely Eda-Kimoto,” he confirmed. 

“I see,” she said once she had the information she needed, “Thank you.” 

“When are you and Tsuzuki coming back?” the scientist asked in a serious tone. Anna looked down at her feet. 

“I don’t know,” she said in a rather quiet tone. 

“Will it be soon?” Watari pressed her. 

Anna didn’t answer; instead, she hung up the phone. Her stomach turned as reviewed what she learned recently in her head. It was just as she feared. 

_Dr. Yamashita_ , she thought. A summer breeze blew past her skirt and Anna felt her sense return. 

_I have to get back to Asato-kun_ , she thought. Anna turned and went back into the room. When she found the inside empty, Anna looked around, biting her lower lip. 

“Asato-kun?” she whispered, “Where did you go?” The quiet put her mind in an uneasy place. She tried not to fear the worst. _Where did he go?_ Anna thought. She kept looking in the room. The girlfriend didn’t even have her back on him that long. She placed her hands on her hips. 

_He couldn’t have gotten far_ , she thought. The woman tried to think where her boyfriend could’ve gone in this state. Suddenly, she noticed a light turned on in the bathroom on the other side of the room. Curious, Anna walked over to the open doorway. 

“Asato-kun?” she asked as she peeked inside. Tsuzuki sat in the bathtub completely out of it. The cold water started spilling out as it kept running at full blast. His clothes were soaked through and through, but wouldn’t budge. Anna wandered inside as she tried to understand the scene unfolding before her. 

“Asato-kun?” she asked, “Asato-kun? What are you doing?” The shinigami didn’t even look up. Anna’s heart began to sink when she noticed the tears streaming down his cheeks. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. 

“What’s the matter?” his beloved whispered. The knot in Anna’s heart tightened when he didn’t respond. She made it into the bathtub and climbed in on top of him. His girlfriend trembled as the cold hit her skin. Anna had to force herself to stay in the tub with him. She pulled onto her arms so desperately. 

“Talk to me,” Anna pleaded, “What is the matter?” Tsuzuki didn’t speak as another tear ran down his cheek. 

“I am a monster,” he mumbled with an ache in his heart. 

“No,” Anna whispered, “You are not a monster! You are a good person! Many people love you! Hisoka loves you, Tatsumi loves you, Watari loves you, and I love you! You are loved, please don’t ever forget that! We all love you, come back to us!” The shinigami slowly woke up from his slump when her words reached him and saw Anna sitting before him in the tub. 

“Anna-chan,” he began to say. She gently put her finger to his lips. 

“Shhh,” his girlfriend whispered, “We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” Tsuzuki closed his mouth. He looked deep into her eyes. Anna gave him a somber look. 

“We don’t even have to leave this tub,” she told him sounding like a mother to a scared child, “We can stay here until you’re ready to get out, okay?” Anna didn’t wait for him to speak as she pressed her forehead against his. 

“I won’t leave you,” she murmured, “I am going to stay with you no matter what!” Tsuzuki pressed a kiss on the lips and Anna tenderly surrendered. He pushed his tongue into her mouth as he held her to his chest in a smothering way. Anna didn’t mind the pain or cold through their desperate necking. 

_Asato-kun needs this right now_ , she thought, _He needs me right now._

  
_I'll be your water bathing you clean_  
The liquid peace  
I'll be your ether you'll breathe me in  
You won't release  
Well I've seen you suffer, I've seen you cry the whole night through  
So I'll be your water bathing you clean  
Liquid blue

  
_I'll be your father, I'll be your mother,_  
I'll be your lover, I'll be yours  
I'll be your father, I'll be your mother,  
I'll be your lover, I'll be yours

  
_I'll be your liquor bathing your soul_  
Juice that's pure  
And I'll be your anchor you'll never leave  
Shores that cure  
Well I've seen you suffer, I've seen you cry for days and days  
So I'll be your liquor, demons will drown  
And float away

  
_I'll be your father, I'll be your mother,_  
I'll be your lover, I'll be yours  
I'll be your father, I'll be your mother,  
I'll be your lover, I'll be yours  
I'll be your father, I'll be your mother,  
I'll be your lover, I'll be yours  
Yours...

_\--“I’ll Be Yours” by Placebo_


	27. Morpheus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna realizes that Tsuzuki's depression will burn her out soon if she doesn't do anything to fix it. But then, an idea hits her in the cold. Nice and short for all.

_Chapter Twenty-Seven: Morpheus:_

Tsuzuki and Anna left the tub at eleven o’clock. The woman undressed him like a mother getting her son ready for bed. 

“I’ll hang up your clothes to dry,” she whispered as she undid his pants, “You just get yourself into bed.” Tsuzuki seemed numb to her words. Anna kissed him gently on the lips when she finished stripping him down. She gathered up his clothes walked back into the bathroom. 

Anna neatly folded Tsuzuki’s clothes and hung them on the shower rod over the drained tub. They slept together and in, got up and dressed, went out to dinner, and then made out in a tub of cold water. He only wanted to deal with his pain. Anna shook her head as she hung up his boxer shorts. His depression was starting to burn her out. There had to be something she could do. She just hadn’t pieced it together yet. 

Anna slid off her short frilly black dress and hung it up with Tsuzuki’s clothes. The cold finally hit her brain as she gasped and moved around to keep warm. Anna grabbed her arms while closing her eyes and trying to imagine warmth. As she did this, an idea came into her mind. 

_I think I might have a way to help Asato-kun tonight_ , she thought. The woman looked out the open door and breathed through the cold. She reached behind and unhooked her black cotton bra. Her panties followed suit in a damp heap on the bathroom floor. Once she hung those up with the rest of the clothes, Anna shut off the light and left the bathroom. 

Tsuzuki lied awake in bed. He felt cold despite it being another hot summer night. The man didn’t seem to know how to get back. Anna was giving it her all to save him from his old abyss. He was amazed that she didn’t walk away from him after two days. The shinigami would probably leave himself if he could. 

Tsuzuki peeked out from the under the sheets. Right then, he felt as if he was dreaming. His beloved Anna-chan stood before him naked. Confusion washed over the shinigami’s face. 

“Anna-chan,” he whispered. The woman didn’t speak as she walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in. Anna put her arms around his slender body. Tsuzuki tried to grasp the gravity of this situation. His girlfriend rested her cheek against his bare back. 

“Shhh,” she whispered, “Just stay still.” Tsuzuki lied there in silence. Anna didn’t look up. 

“I only ask one thing of you,” she whispered, “Don’t look back tonight. Just close your eyes and take me in.” Tsuzuki shut his eyes and let the warmth of her body consume him. His breath relaxed as his mind went blank. Sleep peacefully washed over him. Anna held onto him tight as if to warm him up with her own body heat. 

“Good night, Asato-kun,” she whispered with her eyes down. Anna gently closed her eyes and went right to sleep. This wasn’t much, but it would have to do for the night.


	28. Hypnos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Tsuzuki check out of the hotel. Anna realized that she has to end this episode of infection by confronting the root.

_Chapter Twenty-Eight: Hypnos:_

Tsuzuki awoke the next morning and let his eyes scan the dim room. He found Anna standing in front of the mirror with her back to him. The woman was getting dressed in a short blue skirt with a hot pink tank top. Anna slid on a see-through matching blouse over her top. Tsuzuki watched as she grabbed her hair and put it up in a ponytail. Her boyfriend sat up in bed. Anna paused and turned around when she heard the sheets shuffle. Tsuzuki locked eyes with her and his girlfriend gave him a little smile. 

“Good morning,” she whispered. Tsuzuki only blinked at her. He suddenly began to remember last night. His eyes widened really fast. 

“You…” Tsuzuki began to say. Anna gently put her finger to his lips. His eyes looked at her wrist and then met with her eyes. She gave him a gentle smile. 

“Shhh,” she whispered, “I know. There’s no reason to repeat it; just keep it in here.” The woman put her hand to his chest. Tsuzuki drew his mouth closed. Anna smiled and panted him on the shoulder. 

“Now, get dressed,” she said, “We’re checking out today.” Her boyfriend gave her a blank stare. 

“Why?” he asked. 

“Because,” she said, “You have to work, remember?” It took him a second to understand what she was saying. He chuckled when he did. 

“Oh, that’s right!” the man said. A sweat drop formed on his head. Anna’s eyes lit up brightly. 

“Wow,” she said, “That’s the first time I heard you laugh in days.” Tsuzuki slowly smiled. 

“Yean, I guess so,” he said. Anna stood up straight. 

“Now get up and get dressed!” she said. “We have to go. Your clothes are in the bathroom.” 

“Oh yeah,” Tsuzuki replied with a soft nod. The shinigami got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Anna sat down on the bed and waited. He’s starting to feel better again, but he only recovered from this episode. She _and_ him still had a long road of recovery ahead of them, but first there were two urgent problems to handle first. One being Dr. Yamashita and the other, of course, was Asmodeus. 

Anna grabbed the sheets she sat under. Fire burned in her head. Asmodeus must pay for the infection he planted between the lovers. She would be the one to exact revenge and do it alone. The last thing Anna wanted was to drag Tsuzuki deeper into her problems. He shouldn’t have to suffer anymore. She breathed in heavily. Fear or not, she had to fix this. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. 

“You okay, Anna-chan?” someone asked behind her. The woman came out of her thoughts and looked forward. Tsuzuki stood in the bathroom door fully clothed. He kept his eyes trained on her. Anna quickly shook her head. 

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” she lied. Tsuzuki didn’t buy it, but he kept it to himself. 

“Ready to go?” he asked. Anna smiled as she nodded. 

“Yep,” she said. Anna stood up, gathered up their things, and headed out the door with Tsuzuki following behind. The woman checked them out and paid the bill. Tsuzuki turned to Anna once they got outside. 

“We’re not going back right away, are we?” he asked. Anna pressed her lips together smiling as she shook her head. 

“Nah,” she said. 

“Okay,” her boyfriend said, “So where _are_ we going?” 

“Just walking around the city,” Anna said with a shrug. 

“That’s it?” Tsuzuki asked. 

“Yeah,” she replied. Her boyfriend went quiet and nodded. 

“Come on!” Anna pressed, “It’ll be fun!” They spent the morning walking through the streets of Kyoto. Tsuzuki took in the scent of Anna’s hair. A sense of calm came over him. She wasn’t scared to die anymore. Why was she still with him? Tsuzuki had to ask; he turned to his beloved. 

“Anna-chan,” he spoke up. His girlfriend glanced at him. 

“Hm?” she asked. The shinigami paused to form the question in his head. He took in a breath. 

“Why didn’t you leave me?” he asked, “I killed many people and I might end up killing you.” Anna paused in her tracks. Tsuzuki stared at her back as she didn’t turn around. 

“No, you won’t,” Anna murmured. The shinigami tilted his head. 

“How do you know that?” he asked. 

“I don’t,” his girlfriend admitted. She turned around to him. “I’m just going to trust you not to,” the woman boldly said. Tsuzuki raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Just like that?” he asked. Anna gave him a little smirk. 

“Yes, yes,” she answered, “I do love you after all, silly!” Tsuzuki couldn’t help but to smile. There is was: nothing but trust and love. She patted him on the arm. 

“Now come on,” Anna said, “We still have time to kill before we go back to the others.” She hurried through the park. Her boyfriend smiled as her skirt bounced with her movements. 

_Right_ , Tsuzuki thought as he followed behind her.


	29. Beat the Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna confronts Asmodeus at last. He quickly gains the upper hand, but she gets a little help to fight back. Attemptted rape and gory violence.

_Chapter Twenty-Nine: Beat the Nightmare:_

The evening brought a different mood as the couple made it back to the rented house. Anna sat alone on the porch with her mind ready for battle. _Come on_ , the woman thought, _Show yourself bastard!_ The sound of footsteps caught her ears. Anna trained her eyes to the darkness. The woman glared as she braced herself as the footsteps grew close. The gentleman-like demon appeared before her. Anna sat up straight as he smirked at her. 

“Expecting me?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Anna replied rather numb. Asmodeus glanced around him. 

“Where is your boyfriend?” he asked. 

“Out,” she said. He looked rather intrigued by her answer. 

“So we’re alone?” the demon asked with an eyebrow raised. 

“That’s right,” Anna rose to her feet, “I do not enjoy what you did to my Asato-kun!” Asmodeus smirked at her. 

“My Asato-kun, huh?” he asked rather sarcastically. 

“Did you think you could drive us apart with your venom?” she challenged him. He gave her a little shrug with his smirk. 

“Perhaps,” he said simply. Anna shook her head at him as she sneered. 

“You sad, pathetic little man,” she said in a low voice. Asmodeus laughed at her loud enough to reach the sky. 

“You won’t be saying that when I kill you,” he told her. 

“You will not!” Anna declared with her arms folded across her chest. Asmodeus licked his lips as his hunger began to spike. 

“Bold statement there,” he declared. Anna glared at him as fear and loathing blended together in her mind. Asmodeus glanced down at her wrists. 

“Oh you’re shaking,” he said. “Do you fear me?” 

“Yes!” Anna snapped, “But I’m trembling out of hate! He raised an eyebrow at her rather amused by what he was hearing. 

“You hate me?” he challenged. 

“Yes!” Anna shouted, “I hate you!” Asmodeus felt his blood running hot by this point. 

“Well now,” he said, “This makes things more interesting. I’ll enjoy hearing you scream as I kill you!” 

“Go back to hell!” Anna yelled. Her anger teased his hunger to new levels that he had never experienced before. 

“Or what?” he challenged. Anna closed her mouth. Okay, so she didn’t fully have a game plan, but she decided to not let him see that. Instead, Anna folded her arms across her chest. 

“I’ll send you back personally!” she declared. Asmodeus roared with laughter before he let the cravings take over. 

“Enough with the games!” he said in a growl, “Time to die!” He charged towards her with his claws out for blood. Anna smirked as she drew out a knife she had hidden under her skirt. She raced forward to cut out his heart. Anna raised her arm to attack, but the handsome devil latched onto her wrist with enough force to break the bone into two. The knife fell straight to the ground. Anna looked bewildered as he smirked at her. 

“Foolish little girl,” he hissed in her ear. Asmodeus forced his hand upon her chest and squeezed tightly. Anna struggled to get away before her body felt stiff and heavy. Anna could barely breathe. Her senses were still intact. She could see Asmodeus smirking at her as he removed his hand. 

“Not how I wanted to ravish you,” he admitted, “But this is the only way to sedate you.” He picked her up and carried her away to the reeds. Anna moved her eyes to look for help. No one was in sight tonight; she was trapped with the monster. Asmodeus carried her over to the pond and lied down on the bank. Anna watched him smirk at her. He flipped up her skirt and pushed her legs apart. 

“And now, you’re mine,” he declared. “Such a shame _he_ took your virginity, but that doesn’t matter now; I’ll still win!” He knelt down and kissed her on the neck. The monster breathed in her scent. 

“Yes,” he said. Asmodeus felt himself stirring awake between the legs. He licked his lips as Anna’s eyes widened in newly awakened fear. 

_Somebody please help me_ , she pleaded in her minded as Asmodeus rolled up her shirt. 

“ _Anna-chan!_ ” a voice cried in her mind. Her heart skipped a beat. 

_Asato-kun?_ , she thought. 

“ _Get up, Anna-chan!_ ” Tsuzuki yelled in her mind again. 

“ _I can’t!_ ” she tried to yell back. 

“ _But you have to!_ ” 

“ _I can’t move!_ ” 

“ _You can’t let him win like this! You are stronger than that!_ ” 

A shockwave shot through Anna’s mind, “ _Am I really?_ ” 

“ _You did pull me out of my depression after all,_ ” Tsuzuki told her in her head,“ _You didn’t leave me. Now, I’m not going to leave you._ ” 

“ _But where are you now? How can I hear you in my head right now?_ ” she asked. 

“ _I can’t explain it either, but we don’t have time to talk about that. You have to get up!_ ” 

“ _But do I do that?_ ” his girlfriend asked. 

“ _Try! I know you can do it!_ ” Tsuzuki pushed her. 

Suddenly, Anna snapped out of the poisonous daze and shoved Asmodeus off of her. Her tormentor fell backwards startled. 

“What the --?!?” he yelled. Anna pushed herself to her feet and raced away in the reeds. The demon saw red with this escape attempt. 

“You!” he roared. The demon got up and chased her down. Anna looked around on the ground for something sharp. _Come on!_ , she thought, _There has to be something here to kill him with!_ She spotted a broken bottle on the ground. She assumed that some drunken kids must have left it there long ago from a party at the house they were staying in. 

_Good enough_ , she thought. The woman grabbed the bottle and whipped around. Asmodeus ran towards her with a hungry smirk on his face. Anna gave him a crazed smile as he came within inches of her. 

“Goodbye,” she mumbled. She leapt forward and stabbed her target in the stomach as fast as she could. Anna dragged the bottle up to his chest and pushed it in deep. Asmodeus gasped in pain as she twisted the bottle in as hard as she could. She yanked her weapon out with strong-handed one pull. His heart came out impaled on the jagged ends. Asmodeus’ body broke down into blackened dust as he fell backwards into the tall grass. The particles flew up into the air and vanished. Anna stood there as the last trace of the nightmare disappeared before her eyes. She dropped the bottle and heart on the muddy ground as she fell backwards on the reeds. 

Hours later, Tsuzuki stood over her looking down. 

“Are you alright?” he asked before he knelt down to aid her. Anna gave him a tired little smile. 

“Hey,” she whispered.


	30. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle, Anna and Tsuzuki lie on the porch and talk.

_Chapter Thirty: Morning:_

Early in the morning hours, Tsuzuki and Anna lied on the porch looking at the ceiling of the roof. The shinigami glanced at his beloved. 

“Feel any better?” he asked. Anna nodded with her lips pressed together. 

“Yeah,” she answered. 

“You sure?” he asked. Anna closed her mouth and took a second think about it. Tsuzuki already saw the answer. 

“Not really?” he asked. Anna shook her head rather reluctant. 

“I cut out his heart, but it vanished before I had a chance to crush it,” she admitted. 

“Don’t you believe he’s really dead?” her boyfriend pressed. 

“I want to, but…” Anna bit her lip, “I’m not so sure, you know?” Tsuzuki gave her a small smile as he gently held her hand. Anna looked over at him. 

“Oh,” she said in a small voice. 

“We just came through the worst and we’re still here,” he told her. Anna gave him a little nod as it all sank into her head. 

“This is true,” she agreed. 

“Think we can take more?” the shinigami asked. His girlfriend’s face shaded over rather serious. 

“I’m not sure,” she said in a low voice. Tsuzuki tightened his grip around her hand. 

“Want to know how I found you out there?” he asked her rather excited. Anna looked at him rather curious. 

“Go on, enlighten me,” she replied. 

“We made it back to the house and found it empty,” her boyfriend explained, “We looked around, but you were nowhere in sight. I got worried and ran out there.” Anna gave him a sweet little pout. 

“Did I really upset you that much?” she asked like a little angel. 

“Yes!” he said aloud. That reminded Anna of another point. 

“Asato-kun,” the woman spoke up. 

“Hm?” her boyfriend asked. 

“How did you manage to talk to me while I was being attacked?” the woman inquired over him. The shinigami shrugged at her as he thought about that question. 

“I don’t know what happened,” he admitted, “I blacked out at Kyoto University and saw that bastard trying to rape you. I just yelled out to you and came back!” 

“Could you do it again?” Anna asked. Tsuzuki shook his head. 

“No,” he confessed. Anna pondered his answer. 

“Strange…” she replied. 

“Hey, don’t forget out words,” her boyfriend told her. Anna smiled as she held his hand back. 

“We will be okay,” she said. 

“Yes, we will be okay,” he repeated. 

“We will be okay,” Anna said back in a stronger tone. 

“We will be okay,” Tsuzuki said in confidence. 

Inside, Hisoka watched them from his futon. It all became clear to him. Tsuzuki and Anna had unique bond between them. They needed each other to fix themselves. Hisoka developed an understanding for their relationship. 

It didn’t mean he had to like it. 

Owari


End file.
